Vampire's Aren't Real Sequel
by SaraiDaDee
Summary: Everyone knows the story of Ivy and Daviel, but now here's the story of their daughter, Sprice. She's a teen having to live through being a badass teenager while suffering the results of past grudges against her father, Daviel. Completed. :P
1. Introduction

Okay, so I know you had to wait awhile for the sequel, but I've finished it so now I can post it here on FanFic:P So, here's the first introduction part. Thanks for waiting.

[Vampire's aren't Real Sequel Yet I've Become One of Them

Introduction:

There was this girl named Iveria Kinrey. She... like... didn't believe in vampires or anything of that stupid sort. She was all about being strong. People hated her, but Ivy only hated them back. Iveria was a tough cookie. That is, until she fell in love with a vampire. Well, one that kidnapped her, pissed her off, and went against everything she had in morals.

They ended up respected. People wished they could be just like them. That they could be CLOSE to that power of love. Of strength. Of anything, actually. I mean, who wouldn't want to be them. People would bow down as they walked pass. They tried to pass on the good morals to their worshipers. They were... perfect.

Well, that's a little exaggerated, but still...

You want to know what else they are? Stupid, big headed, boring, no fun, hypocritical jerk offs. That's right. I'm Sprice Jestin Orome, and I'm here to tell you all the truth. Those two "love birds" are out of here, and now their lovely, trouble making sixteen year old daughter is here to take over.


	2. Chapter 1

Part One:

Being in ninth grade a second time sucks balls. I mean, I've just turned sixteen. I'm suppose to be in tenth grade. Who cares if I failed a couple of classes! At least I made it this far. You can't possibly expect me to want to graduate if I have to keep taking these classes over and over again. If I didn't show up the first time, what makes them think I'll show up this time?

This time... I think I'll skip on the roof. They always expect a kid to skip by either going to the bathroom, or even to the library. I like mixing up the classics so that it confuses everybody. I don't roll with everyone else, though, I prefer to roll with my own biscuit.

Now, though I think I'll go to the roof this time, I've also skipped in other ways. The easiest way is ditching school completely for an hour or so. Other than that, just walk into another classroom that is more interesting and learn something different. I mean, the teachers in this school are so fucking retarded that they don't know how to keep track of what kids are theirs.

I have to wait until the bell rings. The bell even sucks. It's the same tone for everything. If the office calls for someone, this little tone that's the same as the end-of-class bell sounds off. It's the same for fire drills... tornado, chemical, and terrorist drill. Lock down. Whatever you want. It's all the same sound. So you always have to have a watch with you. That way you can be sure if it's the end-of-class bell.

Besides, the bell is so quiet that you have to depend on the people with their ears pressed against the speaker. It sucks to be them. Especially if it's lunch time. The place is so loud you can't even hear yourself speak. That's what happens when there is 500 person in a cafeteria. That being not even half of the school. Well, close. There is 1,267 students who attend Reaper High School.

That's right, Reaper. Can you guess what the mascot is? Pretty awesome thing to have support for. Death. Wow.

I sit at a group of tables. Not a table with a group in it, but a group of tables with groups in each group of tables. Anybody confused yet? Well, it's true. It's not like I invited them. They all gather around, asking me how I've been and acting as if they're my friends. I don't think I could name half of these people, but oh well. It's cool when they give you money for no reason.

And weed. You can't forget that. I mean, it's not like I'm some sort of pothead. I can control it, but what else am I going to do to waste my time? I find creative ways. I either get high, drunk, or something of that sort. Then I could screw my boyfriend at the time, or I go out with a group and cause some damage. Wondering how many times I've been to jail? Only twice, but those were mistakes.

I mean, I hate getting caught. Jail isn't that bad, but still. What's bad is the knowledge that you were caught. I know people who are afraid of jailbirds, but what you should be afraid of are the ones who don't go to jail. People who go to jail are people who've been caught. That's it. Stupid people who don't know how to think right. When you rob something, make sure you have a plan.

Out of all the things I do, being caught twice is a great number. It's not like I brag about it, though. What's to brag about? I fucking got caught. What's so great about that?! And do not think me of a slut just because I stated earlier about screwing my boyfriend. I mean, we all have a life, and I find keeping virginity stupid. What for? So you'll go to heaven? Who cares about heaven?

My mother dearest thought the same once. She's the one who named me Sprice. Sounds more of a boy name to me, but it'll do. People say my mother and I have so much in common. Then they act as if I should be grateful for looking like her. I don't think I do. Just because I have black hair, and some facial features in common doesn't mean we're the same. She's weird. She's "powerful" in her own little way.

They also said I act more like my dad, though. I think we have the same eyes. Black, but with a red tint. I tell people it's because of my contacts. Like I wear contacts? Yeah right. My daddy pooh is powerful, too. Mother dearest swears that he's a vampire. How... true, but yeah. I just prefer to think of them both crazy. Dad named my middle name after his dead sister. I got his last name, too. Otherwise, no resemblance.

It's not like any of them pay attention to me, anyways. My "dad" disappeared to God knows where. My "mom" just sulks around, looking at me weird sometimes. I can tell she doesn't like me being around. So I'm never around anymore. What kind of parents are they? Mom doesn't even try to look for me anymore. It's not like I want her to... I don't care.

I've got my close friends. My most important friend being Ray-Lottie. That's her first name, seriously. Can you guess what her parents names are? Yep, Ray and Lottie. She loathes them both, so I call her R.L. She likes to call me what everyone likes to call me... L.T.P. Has nothing to do with my name. Leader of the Pack. Mainly because I... lead everybody. I'm the one who starts the trouble. Otherwise, she'll call me Spice.

I have other friends, them being part of the "pack". My pack is actually the ones I just hang out with the most. There's H.L. (Hope Love... hippies for sad excuses of parents), L.C. (Lucky Charms, but her name is actually Candace), and G.L. (Gay Lady; he picked it himself, and his real name is Jason). G.L. is actually a homosexual, and we're all proud of it.

Our thing was to come up with our letters for labels, and then each one would have an 'L' in it. People have never laughed about it because there is nothing to laugh about. If someone was to laugh about it, they would not have a happy ending. Not that I like to threaten, beat, or mentally kill someone... our pack is more like a family if anything. If you hurt one, you hurt all.

R.L. was sitting next to me. She always did. Everybody looked at us, and they knew they couldn't break this bond apart. Not in a lesbian way, either. We only trusted each other, and that's that. Sure, the rest of the pack was family, but they still weren't as important to me as R.L. H.L. would be my next closest, though. L.C. was the only way you could have the best time of your life. G.L. is the one that could plan up a party on the spot. He owned the party house.

R.L. was beautiful to me. Once again, not in a lesbian way. She was a flawless person, hidden behind the mask of evil, and all her beauty was ignored because of her wall of hidden personality. She knew everything about me, and I knew everything about her. The only next step would be if we could read each others minds. I would literally do anything except kill myself for R.L.

She was blonde, and blue eyed. Perfect smile, and perfect form that she could join the cheerleading squad if she wanted. Our cheerleaders sucked, though. R.L. wouldn't even imagine joining those whores. They don't go for potential, they go for looks. Then when you do join them, they somehow make you more beautiful, and then they tear down your personality so that you become a mechanical bitch. R.L. wasn't about to let them get to her. None of us would. We prefer to beat the crap out of them.

Suddenly, a slip of paper was slid in front of me. I glanced at it, and flipped it over to read:

"You gone next? -R.L."

We had to be careful. Notes aren't allowed, how stupid, and talking about skipping can send you to the International Space Station. Otherwise known as I.S.S... In School Suspension if you want to be boring. I wrote down "The Roof. You coming? -L.T.P." And R.L. nodded before throwing the note into her backpack.

The cafeteria went into a flurry as everybody started to stand up. The most quietest bell in the world had sounded off, apparently. They won't try to trick anyone after what I had done to that boy who done it the first time. Yeah, he didn't think disturbing lunch for no reason was funny after his fingers were mysteriously smashed in his locker.

R.L. went towards the usual hallway, so that peeping Ms. Morris wouldn't think anything was up. I walked out of view from all teachers, and then slipped in between a gap that separated groups of lockers. I opened the window, seeing as this was the only unlocked window in the hallway. It was the only window I had been able to sneak to at midnight to unlock it from the outside.

I slipped through, and anybody who had seen me wouldn't rat out. This school was not a ratting kind of school. Somebody's business was their business. I ducked down so that no teacher would spot me through the windows. I stayed low to the ground, waiting for R.L. to appear. Since she was coming, I would wait for her. That way she'd know I had shown up.

After a moment, nobody showed up. Not one person was in the hallways, so that meant the bell had rung. Maybe she had been held back. Never had R.L. failed to get out here in time, but there was a first time for everything. I looked at the time. It was already eight minutes into fifth period. Seven periods total. Two lunches. The school was split up in half to go to each lunch.

After a moment, I decided I'd go to the roof without R.L. Then I felt like that would be betraying her, so I decided to go to the bathrooms to see if she had been held up. Maybe she forgot. If I was caught in the halls, I'd just say that I was tardy. No trouble if you're tardy. Only if you're skipping.

I slipped back through the window on tiptoe so that a teacher wouldn't exit their room to investigate a noise. I started down the hall in the direction of the bathrooms that were nearest to R.L.'s next class room. Pre-AP English 10. R.L. was a genius. She had all honor classes, and she was passing all of them with her lowest grade being a 98 in Pre-AP American History class. I'm never jealous, though. I mean... sure I'm in resource classes, and I'm taking ninth grade classes, but she's R.L. Being smart is just a piece of her.

As I walked through the hall, Cody Young exited a class far ahead. Cody... one of the big shot bullies of the school. See, I'm not a bully. I don't purposely torture people's minds for no reason. I have morals. I have respect. I know when to drive people crazy, and when to be there for them. I'm too soft. I need to shoot a couple of people or something.

I think Cody was one of my boyfriends, but now he's just some moron who likes making snide remarks each time he sees me. One of these days, I'm going to stuff those words of his down his throat. And I think that day could be today, because Cody was making his way towards me.

"Skipper," he sneered as we approached each other's radius. That fat pig can make me sick. I can't believe I ever thought this fatty was cute. Ick.

"Shut up, Fat Bait, before I get Jason on your ass, you homophobe," I snapped at him, walking past him. At first, I thought he's let it go. He did seem to be afraid of touching G.L. As if being gay was contagious.

Then Cody said, "I think I preferred it when Ray-Lottie was on my ass. You know, they weren't kidding when they said she was the best cock sucker in school." I froze in my tracks. Any referring to the secret that R.L. had told me last year made me want to kill someone. Not that Cody would know about R.L.'s father filming her while molesting her. Yet, he had said the wrong thing, and I wasn't about to let it fly by.

I turned to Cody, and clutched my fists. After school, I was telling myself, get him after school. Not where you'll be caught. Not now.

"What? Getting angry because you don't like anybody talking about your lover," Cody asked with malice, "You know how much of a whore she is. Just accept the fact that she fu--" I stomped forward, and smashed my knuckles into his fat cheek. Then I busted my left hand open when I popped him in the eye.

He screamed when I punched his nose furiously. The force was more than expected, and I didn't ever punch anybody. I could hurt them only too bad, but I was beyond hope now. I punched his stomach, and then started endlessly kicking his stomach and ribs. A pair of hands grabbed my arms and ripped me back wildly.

I blinked out the rage, looking down at the beaten and crying Cody. Instead of feeling sad about this, I felt disappointment at the sight of teachers surrounding us. This meant one thing. A nice, long trip to the International Space Station... and a nice, long, hypocritical lecture from Iveria Kinrey, my mother dearest.


	3. Chapter 2

Part Two:

I sat in the office of my principal, Coach Hoyt. He used to be a coach, you see, just before he made his way up the chain to take over the principal position only last year. Mr. Reed was my favorite principal. Instead of complying to the needs of the preppy people, he'd always try to listen to the lower people. If I was to guess, I'd say that he had been one of those losers once.

Coach Hoyt didn't exactly like me. He knew me only too well, for even though I don't like to be caught, school trouble happens too much. Tardies, skipping, fighting, cussing, sexual harassment, and even drugs... all the works. Coach didn't like me because of one main reason. I never called him coach. Mrs. Hoyt seemed so much more appropriate to me. In fact, I think Coach was fond of Cody Young. They're both fat lards of stupidity.

"Sprice Orome," Coach Hoyt started after staring at me a moment, "Fighting's completely against our rules, but you'd know that by now. Why were you in the hall without a pass?"

I shrugged, "I was in the bathroom, and I didn't hear that stupid bell. It wasn't long before I knew I was tardy." Then I smiled widely. It was completely fake, but whatever. Better than stuffing some apple pie into Coach's face. Wait.. he'd like that, wouldn't he? Ha.

"We've called your mother to pick you up," Hoyt stated sharply, "Instead of I.S.S., I think it'd be better if you were suspended for three days. Just to make sure all anger towards Mr. Young will have time to disappear." He sat back to wait for my reaction.

Well, he'll be disappointed because he just bought me three days of me doing whatever I want with permission. It's not like mom would be bothered by any of this. She's too busy being a life saver. Hearts being her specialty. They called her, sure, but I doubt she'll even show up. If so, eventually she'll get tired of these school calls and just leave me to suffer.

Another person was getting in trouble, so I was moved to the front office to wait for my mom. I crossed my arms in a form that would warn mom from trying to talk to me. It was a kind of look that said I wouldn't listen to one word of any lecture. It always works because she just waits as if there will be a time when I'll smile and say "Let's talk". Yeah, right.

The door to my right opened quickly. Just like that, a woman with black hair, and sharp, blue eyes walked through. Automatically, she glared at the nicest office lady, Mrs. Jackson. If I wanted to, I could make her direct her attention to the office bitch next to Mrs. Jackson. Still, that would be if I wanted to. Right now I could only imagine how Mrs. Jackson felt as mom's icy glare was focused on her. It had been on me enough times, but I learned to retaliate with words instead of looks.

There was an awkward moment of my mom glaring at Mrs. Jackson, and Mrs. Jackson staring back like a deer in headlights. Then mom snapped suddenly, "Well. What's wrong this time? I doubt you called me up just to visit, Egghead." Classic sarcasm. What an idiot. Doesn't she ever notice how that doesn't impress anyone? Well... not me at least.

"Your daughter got in a fight with a Cody Young, and has been suspended from school for three days," Mrs. Jackson said quickly. Mom scoffed, and turned to glare at me. I looked down; away from those eyes. When I look at her, I get this feeling like she's trying to hear something that's not there. Like... read my mind or something dumb of that sort.

"Let's go, Sprice," Mom said with great annoyance; the only tone of voice she has for when she talks to me. There's annoyance, rage, and plain tired voices that she switched back and forth to. I stood up, and headed out the door without waiting for mom. I found the car parked right in front of the entrance into Reaper High. Just like her to think she can do anything she wants.

On the drive back home, mom didn't say anything. She just messed with that tongue ring of hers; a habit she's had for as long as I can remember. Man, mom won't like it when she finds out I have a tongue ring, too. And a belly ring. And a tattoo... or two... okay, three. She thinks she's so bad because she has a tongue ring, and that "attitude". I don't think she suffered over anything more than her older brother dying. Big deal.

When we pulled into our driveway, I started out of the car. My mom followed close behind as we stomped into the house. I could sense a lecture coming. Don't fight. It's bad. I got it, and I don't fight. I just get mad too easily, and it's the person's, who got me mad, fault. Maybe I could avoid this lecture, though. Maybe if I just hide away in my room, I'll be safe from boredom. I started down the hall towards my room.

"Wait one second, Sprice," mom snapped, and I paused. I rolled my eyes before turning to glare at mom.

"What," I asked sharply. She was glaring at me like she had with Mrs. Jackson, but I only glared back. Amazingly, mom's eyes skipped down a bit to my mouth instead of my eyes. Odd, but I'll roll with it.

"You know better than to go around fighting," Mom started, and I sighed. I knew this all along. "I'm not going to lecture you," she said in annoyance, "I just want to warn you. You're more stronger than you think, and fighting can be dangerous. You could hurt someone."

I scoffed, "You don't know what they say to make me fight them. I'll do what I want."

"No you won't," Mom snarled in rage, "You'll do what I tell you to."

"Or what," I challenged furiously.

"You know what I can do," Mom threatened, "You know I can control everything around me, including you."

I glared at her a moment. "Then do it," I snapped, "Make me the daughter you've always wanted. I don't care." Like she scares me. Yeah, right.

"I'm not going to do that," Mom said, suddenly sounding tired. Wow, the three tones in one short argument.

"Then leave me alone," I yelled, turning to stomp to my room.

"You're grounded, Sprice Jestin, none of your friends are to show up until AFTER your suspension," Mom yelled at my back. I slammed the door shut. Grounded? Nice try, mother dearest. I looked at the time. School would be out in thirty minutes. Until then, I'm grounded. Willingly, of course.

It took all I had to not laugh as I snuck out of my own window. Out of the whole pack, L.C.'s window was the easiest to sneak in through. She lived in a trailer, and her room was on the end with the triangular thing that connected to the back of trucks. You just climb up that part, and the window was always easy to open. No screen, and unlocked.

Mine used to have a screen. That is, until I busted it out one night that I ran off. This time I'm not running off, I'm sneaking off. Once I got far enough down the road, I started jogging towards R.L.'s house. Though, I think I'll stop at G.L.'s first, seeing as he owns a car. A couple of cars, in fact. He owned the party house because his parents happen to be chalk full of money.

R.L. has more money than all of us, though. It's from her grandparents, not her parents. My mom gets plenty of money, but she keeps it in the bank for me. She won't tell me which bank, and she won't tell me what account or anything. I think she's afraid I'll take it all, and never be seen again. Nice idea, though.

I turned into the yard of G.L., and saw a group of people from lunch on the porch. Once they spotted me, there was random greetings of "Yo, L.T.P.! What's up!". All the normal junk.

I instead greeted them with, "Where's my gothmo homo pet?" Jason never felt embarrassed about his orientation status. Nobody really made fun of him for it, either. He was in the pack because of this pride, and besides... he's my pet. I favor him like that.

I walked past the group when they pointed into the house. "Gay Lady,"I yelled out.

"Pack Leader," G.L. called back, walking out of the kitchen. He shoved people out of the way. L.C. came from behind him, but Hope didn't appear. This disappointed me. H.L. wouldn't be with R.L., either. In fact, H.L. loathed R.L. She didn't really care for anyone in the pack. The only reason why she hung out with us was because of me. We've been friends since Junior High, and she was the oldest one of the pack. She more hung out with other people in the groups at lunch than with us. Still, I accepted her as one of us, so the others did as well.

"Heard you got in a fight with Fat ass Bully," Candace said with an evil smile. I suddenly realized how odd it was that L.C. was at G.L.'s house. They didn't get along too well. L.C. also loathed R.L. G.L. didn't actually mind R.L., but wasn't too close to her. Now that I think of it, they all are only together because they are all connected with me. Odd, but I'll roll with it.

"Cody Young? He isn't as scary when he's crying on the ground," I said with a smirk. "Anyways, I need a car. I've got to go see R.L. to see what held her up after lunch." They didn't ask what I meant, but G.L. just grabbed a key. All his keys were color coded, for each car was a different color. It made it easier on everybody.

After I walked out to the garage, I looked at the color to see the green color. How sweet. G.L. knows that's my favorite car, and my favorite color. H.L. love blue. L.C. likes red. And G.L. loves black. R.L. use to like blue, but then just recently switched to hot pink. I got in the green car, and sped my way towards R.L.'s house.

I don't have a license, but I do know how to drive. As long as I drive correctly, there will be no reason for a cop to pull me over. Well, at least I hope. It's worked so far!

I pulled into a random person's house, but walked down the road to a different house. R.L.'s parents don't like me, and they don't usually allow any of the pack over to her house. We're dirt in the mixture of their perfect white carpet. They make me sick sometimes.

I went to the back, where I knew R.L.'s window to be. After a moment of listening with my might, seeing as the blinds kept you from looking in, I tapped on the window. I'm not even sure if R.L. is in her room, but she doesn't usually allow anybody in it. Nobody answered at first, so I figured she was somewhere else. Then the blinds were pulled back to show R.L.'s face.

She cracked open the window, which is odd. Usually, she'll open it so that I can get in. This time, it said that I wasn't coming in. R.L. bent down and said, "Sorry I didn't make it outside. Ms. Morris escorted me to my classroom. Once I'm in there, the teacher won't let anyone out, you know."

I shrugged, "It's all right. I got to punch some sense into a moron, so I don't mind."

R.L. smiled, "Well, good." And she started to shut the window.

"Wait,"I started, and R.L. froze for a moment. For a second, she looked annoyed, but then it was gone. "I'm grounded. Come hang out with me," I insisted. I do this a lot, and R.L. never had a problem with sneaking away with me. We were best friends since elementary school. Nothing could tear our bond apart. I was always there for her, and I'd do anything for her. She sneaks out with me and we tell each other things.

Mainly her telling me things, but whatever.

"No," R.L. said slowly, as if reluctant. This was a shock, but she went on, "Not today. I'm busy." I started to say it was all right, but R.L. shut the window and pulled the blinds. I stood there a moment, trying to think if she was mad at me or something. Then I shrugged, figuring her parents were watching her or something. I'll just go to H.L.'s house for awhile.

As I walked back towards the green car, I saw a couple of cars drive through R.L.'s drive way. See, it's just that friends of her parents are coming over. That's all. Though, wouldn't that have made her eager to go with me instead of suffering? Odd.


	4. Chapter 3

Part Three:

As a person with a normal heart, I have my own morals. I have my own rules. Most are guidelines to getting by High School without killing yourself, but these rules are only set to me. Other people have other minds, and therefore have different standards they must adapt to. With me, getting along is simple.

The first thing that is the most important is understanding. If you try to understand, things are easier. That's a given thing you need to follow my rules. And my first rule is to never make fun of people. Mentally, you can. It's all right. Otherwise, it's best to just judge people on their personality, not their looks.

Next rule is that if someone insults, laughs, or in any way makes fun of you, retaliate. Ignoring just makes you go lower on the respect chain. Responding in a way, such as threatening, will also be considered as a challenge. Sometimes you'll be laughed at for retaliating, but if you can retaliate in a form that will ultimately hurt the said person... you've either made an enemy and/or raised yourself on the respect chain.

Ignoring is okay... if you are sure you'll never see the said person for another year or so. In which case, I would just punch the fuck out of that moron for insulting a complete stranger. (Seeing as this breaks my rule #1.)

And the third rule is to roll with your own drum... but in a way that isn't actually separating yourself from everyone else. The key is to get everyone to not see you as a freak. Being a freak is only accepted after they do get to know your real self... after they accept you as NOT a freak. Complicated, but yeah. How about this. Match your clothes, and take a bath every other day. Hairstyles don't really matter. That is, unless you've shaved off your eyebrows. There's the joke for a couple of years, but you CAN recover from fallbacks like that!

To explain further, just know this: if you're a weird freak, don't let everyone see it. Be acceptionally normal to one certain type of group for a couple of months. Then when the group accepts you, unleash your inner weirdo. Nobody would care, but do prepare yourself to be labeled as the freak of the group. Still, people should love you unless your an unlovable asshole.

Which brings me to the next rule. Be sociable, and have a good personality. I don't mean a perfect one, either. If you can't be humorous, then be nice. If you can't be nice, be humorous. If you're mean and have no sense of humor... prep yourself up to be a robot and join the cheerleading squad/football team.

What I mean is that when you meet a stranger, no matter how ugly they are, don't just dump them. Talk first. If they turn out to be not your type, stick them on your hate list, but until you've got that totaled out, it's best not to be mean. Sociable is a plus. If you can talk to a random person about anything from the top of your head, and you're nice to them... they usually warm up to you. It's an opening of what I call stranger-friendship. This usually makes anybody's day.

If you can NOT think of anything to talk about, don't talk about yourself. Ask questions instead. If the person isn't sociable enough to answer simple questions such as "what's your favorite color" or "do you have pets", then just stop talking to them and talk to some other stranger who doesn't have a stick up their woohoo.

I won't be able to give my rules of relationships because I'm afraid all my relationships are jokes. If you can even call it a relationship. Anyways, with those top four rules, I've gotten by with a couple of close friends, friends, acquaintances, and people-who-I-don't-know-but-wave-to-anyways. When you have those people, you have people on your side.

So... if your mother dearest goes to a member of your pack to ask a couple of kids if they have seen her daughter, they'll shake their heads no and then point her in a direction that nobody would EVER see me go to. Like the library or something.

The thing about your closest friend completely shutting you out without an explanation is the unknowingness. How are you suppose to know if you actually hurt them without knowing it or if they really are just busy? Then if you think about it long enough, you actually begin to think that you did do something. That maybe I have forgotten something I said to R.L. Or maybe I have forgotten something R.L. said to me.

All this complication only arrived in my head when I had nobody around. Nobody I knew to be in any of my four groups of people I'd talk to. I've only got two close friends: R.L. and H.L. My friends are mainly the ones in my group, and a lot of others from the groups of tables during lunch... along with those associated with my family. My acquaintances would be everyone else in the groups of tables, and my classes. And the p.w.i.d.k.b.w.t.a. would be those people I don't know well enough to actually talk to.

I did go to H.L.'s house, but she wasn't even there. Nobody was there. So instead, I drove myself to the Game Room. It was located just next to the movie theater, which I was considering watching a movie by my lonesome. I never watch movies by myself. I always have someone with me. L.C. likes the game room the most as much as she likes Wal-Mart. G.L. prefers the skating rink/bowling alley. Then H.L. prefers the churches or club houses. Not fake clubs that kiddies make up, but clubs like the 4-H or volunteer things.

R.L. preferred her own house. I preferred wherever R.L. was. None of it really mattered to me, but now I just sat in a seat, putting quarters into the race car game. Without even knowing it, I felt a wave of rage flow through me. How could R.L. just ditch me like that? I got suspended because of her! And then I was grounded because I got suspended because of her. How could mom have grounded me? It was a fat GUY. When does a mother ground her daughter for fighting a fat boy?

When Iveria knew that this was an opportunity to be different.

She falls in love with this vampire (yeah, right), and then decides to make everything difficult by having his kid. If anything, she should be grounded for being a retarded freak. This vampire (as if) ditches her to "save" us both from danger. Nevermind, my freak of a father should go to an insanity ward or something. Better yet, it'd be safer if we just shot him before he thought he could live through a bomb. He'd probably set it off in the Pentagon because he thinks the government is after us.

Now she thinks that just because she can make great guesses and everything else in her life (besides me) goes her way, that she can read minds and control reality. Correction: shoot them both before mom thinks she can stop the bomb dad set off with a snap of her finger.

Suddenly, a hand tightened it's grip on my shoulder. I snapped my face from the race car game to the eyes of my mother dearest. Woah. Speak of the devil and she shall rise. I sighed. So much for not being grounded. Now with my calculations, my limit has switched from three days to a week. Now I can't have a phone, or the computer. God, please don't take the television.

I'm a t.v. freak. In fact, as I was paraded into mom's car, I glanced at the sign in front of the theater that told what movies were playing. I had already watched all of them. Skipping the History movie. History can suck my invisible balls.

The first thing mom said in the car was, "No television for a week." Deja Vu. Almost as if she had read my mind like she claims she can. Well, to be true, mom says she has trouble with my mind. That mine was so jumbled up and unorganized that it made no sense to her. She supposably "catches" only a couple of "thoughts". More like she's caught the insanity cancer.

"Fine," I snapped.

"Fine," mom snapped in return, back to a mixture of annoyance and rage, "And no contacting Ray-Lottie for a month. She's a bad influence on you." Mom always says that. R.L. is always the influence in my life. Why can't a person roll with their own wheel? What happens if you're the influence? I never got farther than that question. How would I be the influence?

The main question: when will mom realize that punishing me doesn't make our relationship any better? Well, what relationship we have.

"A month," I said.. and then continued sarcastically, "I'll definitely never talk to R.L. again. She's such a huge influence with her genius grades, and clean record both in the P.D. and school. What was I thinking? R.L. is so horrible." Then to add to that, I scoffed. Mom tightened her grip on the steering wheel. Bitch.

Right now she'd be wondering what exactly is my influence. How is she possibly suppose to help me? What happened to make me this way? Why her? Without know it... my given skill needed to follow my four rules had sent these messages into my head. The thing is, my hatred for her only gave me pleasure in that message. I hope she's suffering. Liars and hypocritical people who practically pretend their kid doesn't exist deserves to suffer.

I stomped to my bedroom, slamming the door behind me. Just before I fell into a sleep, one last message was sent to my brain because of my given skill. She did this to me... is she some sort of mistake?

I stopped talking to my mom. This had happened a billion times before, but this time I was planning on making it a month. She tries to punish me for a month, I'm doing the same to her.

I decided to sneak a call to R.L. Then I'd just hope that I could fit in some calls to the rest of the pack before mom could catch me. I dialed R.L.'s phone number from memory. I had her number subconsciously memorized so that if you asked me it, I couldn't even tell you. The only way I know it is by dialing it myself. The same goes for my locker combinations.

After a moment, R.L.'s mother answered the phone. For a second, I didn't know if I should ask for R.L. But then I took the chance.

"Can I speak to Ray-Lottie,"I asked in my most sweetest voice. There was a silence.

"Who is this," Lottie, R.L.'s mother, asked politely.

Now's the moment of truth. "This is --," think, Sprice, "Kate Lorey. Captain of the Cheerleading squad. I'm trying to convince your daughter to join the team once again, you see..." Before I knew it, R.L. was on the phone.

"Hey Kate," R.L. said before I could say anything, "I've been thinking about it and I just thought you'd want to know that--"

I interrupted before R.L. could insult the fake Kate. "I'm sorry, but you're not squad material. Better luck at the playboy mansion," I said, trying to hold back laughter.

"Sprice," R.L. asked, slightly sounding annoyed. She hates sluts, you see. So that would be reason enough. That or I really did get her mad somehow. Then I realized that she called me by my first name.

"Ray-Lottie, glad I could catch you," I said sarcastically, "I'm grounded for a week, and I'm not suppose to contact you for a month. How dumb is that?"

"I've got to go," R.L. stated sharply, "I'm being rude." Then she hung up on me. This confused me greatly as I looked at the phone. How is talking to her best friend being rude? Since when is she afraid of being rude? R.L. is the rudest person I've met. And what the hell got shoved up her ass? I tisked in annoyance, and hung up the phone. People shouldn't be stupid for no reason. It's stupid.

Mom was already at work, so I didn't have to worry about her getting on to me. Yet, I had gotten so confused and annoyed that I forgot to call everyone else of the pack. For a second, I remembered that the car had been left at the theaters two days ago, but when I had called G.L. yesterday... he said that it had been returned safely. By who? God knows.

I had already missed some really great shows, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It turns out you think you need something so bad, that when you lose it... you think you'll die. Then it turns out you CAN live without it. I just know that when I'm allowed to watch television again, I'll have a lot of catching up to do. I hate catching up.


	5. Chapter 4

Part Four:

I tried calling R.L. a couple more times, but her mother wouldn't let me talk to her. Then her older sister answered to tell me to bug off. That so-called perfect whore. After a day of this, I decided I'd just leave R.L. alone until mom had forgotten about the no-contacting rule.

A week was up, though, so I could talk with the rest of the pack. R.L. had been absent for two days, and I tried to call to see what was up, but there wasn't even an answer. Most likely someone in the family died or something R.L. couldn't tell me. When she comes back, I was planning on strangling the truth out of her.

L.C. called to see if I could go to the theater with her, and I agreed. No need to get permission. It's only the theaters; what's the worse that could happen? Still, if I was going somewhere with L.C., I had to check to see if anyone else was going. I didn't even try R.L. Her mom wouldn't let me talk to her if her life depended on it. I started with H.L. She was already at a 4-H event that I had forgotten about.

Then I called G.L., and he said he'd meet us there. I'd been to the movie theaters with L.C. other times, but I usually went with R.L. Still, she was too strict on trying to watch the movie instead of having fun. I had a habit of naming off what movies or shows the actors/actresses played in. That went along with my commentary throughout the movie. R.L. would continually quiet me, but it never bothered me.

L.C. did everything except pay too much attention to the movie. Usually, her comments would have me so cracked up that I would have to rewatch to movie to see what had happened. Our commentaries consisted of nothing but making fun of the movie. In fact, I've found that if ever I had to watch a movie with L.C... we always end up making fun of it or start yelling about how hot one character is. People say that when we're watching the movie apart from each other, this never usually happens. I guess it's just our thing.

I started out the door, yelling behind me, "I'm going out to the theaters." Then I left before mom could ask anything. She should be happy I even said where I was going... and didn't lie about it at the same time. Man, I think Big Bird is starting to influence me. Must... escape... goodness!

I found my seat in the movie theaters, loaded with skittles and gobstoppers (My usual order). I get a coke every once in a while, but this time I didn't feel the coke calling to me. Besides, I just save two bucks. Price sucks, seeing as I could go walk to the gameroom and get a coke for sixty cents. Two bucks? Price sucks. Hey, that rhymes!

L.C. found me quickly, seeing as I usually sit in one area. It gives a perfect view of the screen, and people don't like to go around here because the speaker is just above. Though there is three screens with three different movies, I somehow always get this certain screen. The one that pisses me off because there's a nice, small tear in the screen that nobody else seems to notice except me. It's very distracting.

G.L. arrived not long after L.C., and L.C. had already made a scene of complaining about the seats. This is the best part, seeing as people hear the annoyance and move to the other side of the theater. Except for the morons who seem to like having hilarious commentaries. Then there are those people who like to feel important by moving to the very front. Oh, they're important, though. L.C. had popcorn ready to fire when the time feels right. Which is usually when I smirk and nod.

G.L. was ready to enjoy the movie, but was seemingly tense. He always is tense in public, though I always tell him I'm ready to kick ass if it comes to it. Then there's myself. I sat back, and stuck my feet on the chair in front of me. Slightly uncomfortable, but it blocks the screen from the morons behind us, and I could hear the moans of already an unsatisfactory movie night.

Just when I thought the night was going to be perfect, a large group walked into the room. They made their way, laughing as if they were the most important thing in the world, down the aisle. Then they started scooting their large group to the three rows in front of us, some moving to the row just in front of us. I popped a gobstopper in my mouth, and rubbed my lips from habit as if I was shutting a zip-lock bag.

I wouldn't have minded the group too much, and L.C. was going to have a field day. Then one person decided to sit in the seat in front of me, and shoved my foot off the seat. Automatically, my feet fell to the ground, making me move out of my comfortable position. I watched them sit down before sitting up, and looking at L.C. and G.L.

"Don't forget the coke surprise this time," I muttered to L.C., and let the grudge of being disrespected go for the moment. L.C. laughed, and looked at her lap. She hadn't even bought anything, but then she nudged G.L.

"Go get a coke," L.C. said, handing him money.

"All right," G.L. agreed. He stood up, and left the theater room. When he came back with a large coke, the movie previews started. At a completely boring preview, L.C. started laughing her head off, pointing and screeching occasionally. At one point, she kicked the seat in front of her, which had a member of the other group in it. This sent both G.L. and myself into a laughter fit, which we easily maintained to be laughter at the boring preview.

The person turned to look at us, just as a bright flash appeared on the screen. Like our usual routine, we screeched and hissed as if we were vampires. Just as that had happened, the people in front of us snapped, "Shut up!" I flipped them off, but that's where it ended.

After a couple of minutes into the movie, G.L. suddenly said, "Bitch." Obviously he has a slow mind, or he was thinking on that for a long time. I do that occasionally. Either way, I popped some skittles into my mouth, rubbing my lips again in habit. For a second, I only chewed. Then the flavor hit me, and I reached forward to force myself not to spit it out.

L.C. was looking at me weird, and once I swallowed the skittles, I said, "What the fuck! I think I grabbed the wrong skittles! GROSS!" And both L.C. and G.L. went into a fit of laughter. I looked at the skittles to see it labeled 'Tropical'. First of all, I hate pineapples, pears, watermelon, and all that sort. The only thing I liked of these skittles were the green kiwi kind. I wasn't about to sort through all of it just for green.

"Give it to me," L.C. said, snatching the skittles, but I didn't mind. I was curious as to what deviant thoughts were going through her head. L.C. grabbed some skittles, tasted it, and started spitting them out. She went into the same fit as I did, sending us into more laughter. Then L.C. twisted her arm back, and threw some skittles at the people in front of us.

At the same time, I turned to look behind me, snapping loudly, "Stop throwing skittles!" People looked at me wildly, and I turned to start giggling with L.C. After a couple of times of doing this, the group in front of us kept snapping at everything we did. L.C. threw a piece of popcorn, and one of the group turned to glare at us. Would you know it... it was Kate Lorey. Captain of the Cheerleading squad. How... wonderful.

She looked ahead to the movie, and I looked to my side to see the look of loathing of the other two. G.L. especially hated Kate, seeing as she had starting a chant of "Fairy Queen" in the middle of cheerleading practice. Practice which we all had to attend because our thier coach was babysitting... well, substituting us. Now that I think of it, I don't think I got back at her enough for that.

Before I could do anything, G.L. snatched L.C.'s coke. He poored it over Kate's head, gritting his teeth. Wow, G.L. did the coke surprise for L.C.! There was an automatic uprise, seeing as Kate screeched and stood to her feet. Coke was dripping from her nose, and ice had made its way down her ample cleavage. G.L. stood up as well, and L.C. stood up to be his backup. I stayed seated, placing my feet on top of the chair in front of me. And to get back at Kate's group for the disrespect, I shoved the dude... most liked Kate's boyfriend... in the head with my foot.

"How... you... I...," Kate sputtered, chilled by the freezing coke. Man, it'd suck to be her. Hey, I was enjoying this, though. I might have to end up calming G.L. because it looks as if he was going to attack her for no reason at this point. L.C. had ahold of G.L. so that wouldn't happen, though. I felt as if all was safe.

People were already complaining loudly at the scene, but the group in front of us started to jump over to see what was happening. A bunch of guys from the football team, mainly. And the whole cheerleading squad. The dude that I had kicked in the head stood up to stand in front of Kate.

"Listen here, Fairy Queen," he started.

"Screw you," L.C. yelled, grinning evilly. I think I was the only one that ever felt the disrespect, and that's what got my attention. I was popping another gobstopper into my mouth, watching carefully.

The guys of the group were forming their way, supposably unnoticed, to move in front of L.C. and G.L. The girls were allowing this, which meant they could sense a fight. The guys wouldn't try to hurt L.C. as much as trying to kill G.L. My being seated kept their eyes from sizing me up.

"How about I punch your nose in," the main dude, which I'm guessing is the "most popular" guy... though I don't know his name, threatened. He wasn't looking at L.C., so I was guessing he was threatening G.L. Trying to push L.C. out of it, seeing as G.L. is the coke surpriser. Good job.

"How about I stab your eyes with my thumbnails," G.L. hissed, not backing down. Yeah, those nails. They kind of scare me, but they're great weapons. The only time G.L. got in trouble with the police was when he attack that girl with his nails in the middle of school. He was lucky not to be sued, and unlucky for me not being there to watch him.

"How about you grow a dick, you pussy," another dude just behind the original dude said with a giggle. This wouldn't normal tick me off. I get angry at these verbal insult towards family, but I was sure G.L. and L.C. could handle this. There was only one thing that shocked me. Kate slightly moved to the side, and R.L.'s face appeared. She was obviously trying to hide herself, for I only got a glimpse of her.

Hanging out with robots is not allowed. You're not even suppose to WANT to hang out with them. My surprise was overridden by the flow of rage. What is R.L. doing here with Kate and her gang, when she won't even hang out with me? I'm her best friend, here. And why didn't she tell me anything?

The original dude swung a punch out of nowhere, and it connected with G.L.'s chin. This pulled me out of my thoughts of R.L., and my rage was directed to the moron who just punched my homo. I snapped out of my seat so fast that it even shocked L.C. Without even a second thought, I threw myself over the seat separated the dude and me, and collided into the dude. That's what I call a tackle of a pissed L.T.P.

Everybody went into a full out brawl, trying to get me off their main dude. I kept on by punching every flesh of meat I could. Then when the dude grabbed my wrists, I slammed my head against his. Without knowing it, I bit his shoulder furiously. I could feel people pulling on me, but I tightened my grip. The dude's screaming sharpened into my mind, and I was pried off by the theater owner. I could taste the dude's blood, but what bugged me was the enjoyment of it all. I was ready to rip his head off. How dare he take R.L. from me!

I elbowed the theater owner in the stomach, but just as he let go, L.C. grabbed my arm. She started dragging me hastily out the backdoor of the theater, leaving the dude of the group yelling "She bit me!" over and over again. Before we got out the door, I heard the owner say, "I'm calling the police!"

"Aw, fuck nah," I yelled, exasperated. L.C. shoved me out the door, and G.L. appeared behind us. Automatically, I started running towards the road.

"L.T.P.," L.C. called. I didn't reply. They could follow me if they wanted. "L.T.P.," L.C. yelled, running after me, "SPRICE!" I skidded to a stop, and turned.

"The police are coming, we've got to hit the road," I snapped. L.C. took her time catching her breath, and I realized that she had been laughing.

"Why not in a car," she asked, giggling like a maniac. I froze for a moment.

"Ooooh," I said slowly, "A car. Yeah, that would make sense." And L.C. bursted with laughter. We were going to go to the parking lot, when a car appeared next to us. G.L. was in it, nursing his bleeding nose. We got in.

"Take us back around to get our cars," I ordered.

"Yes, Ma'am," G.L. stated, holding up his hand in a salute. I snorted.

"Sorry, G. I'm just a little testy," I apologized. Apologies are easy when it comes to saying sorry to my friends.

"What was all that about, anyways," L.C. asked, looking slightly confounded. I shrugged, and only smiled. They don't need to know about what I saw. I'm sure R.L. has a very good excuse. Maybe she wasn't even with them. Maybe she isn't allowed to see me for now. Being grounded does seem to suck, though. Let's just make sure that mother dearest doesn't hear about this overly violent fight.


	6. Chapter 5

Part Five:

I never usually sneak into my bedroom without looking first. It was always better to look, you see. Just in case your mother was standing there, glaring holes through the glass. In case she was expecting you to sneak in that way, anyways. So it's just better for everyone if you sneak a look, and if she's there... just wait until tomorrow so that she can cool off.

I was feeling odd tonight, so I forgot about that vital information. I just opened my window, figuring my bedroom door was locked anyways. Now, if I wanted to be even more retarded, I could have walked in through the front door. That thing needs to be unhinged and replaced. Everytime I try to shut it, I forget how you have to twist the knob, and then shut it. Instead, I'd throw it--expecting it to shut like NORMAL doors--and it would bounce right back at me. Stupid... useless...

Anyways, I guess I was half way in my mind, for I did NOT go through the front door. Instead, I stuck one foot through my window without checking the perimeter. I was going to lay down in my bed, and wake up in the morning to tell mom that I had only took a walk. Nothing too bad. She'll never know.

The moment I had my full body within my room, the bedroom light flicked on. I twisted around to see my mom standing there. Oddly enough, she had her arms crossed, and was glaring holes into my face. Great. Now I'm grounded some more. Wait... maybe if I get her mad enough, she'll forget.

"What are you doing in my room," I snapped, not able to think of anything more conversational. I could have used the 'I can explain' crap, but I prefer to get pissed off instead. It goes more with me, and I can make it more convincing. Angergood.

"Masturbating. What do you think," Mom snapped. I knew this was sarcasm, but she had this way of keeping her face straight when she talked like that. Almost as if she was serious, but I could tell by common sense that she was not masturbating. So sarcasm it is. Weird. Usually she just goes off on me. Maybe now she's gone insane! To the insanity ward for you! No more mom for me! Then I'll be parentless, but free.

"Where have you been," Mom suddenly asked... to the point. I guess I could tell the truth. It isn't too bad, so I'll most likely get off easy.

"At the movies with Candace and Jason," I responded. Mom doesn't really understand this initial stuff, so I just make it easy on her. The less confusion, the better.

"You mean the movies where there was a big fight not too long ago," Mom asked with a slightly knowing look. Always knowing look. As if she knows everything. All wise and mighty. Mother dearest has been through it all, people. Never been arrested, but she knows what it's like. Yeah, right.

"No, that's the Miramax," I stated annoyed.

Mom scoffed, "The Miramax is a movie _producer_. Not a theater." I knew that. I'm not a retard.

"No, it's a lake," I replied in argument. I was referring to Lake Miramax down the road. I liked jumping off the cliff there into the water. Be careful. I've heard people get so sore from jumping that they can't even move their arms without feeling pain. Haha. Oh well. The best thing about Lake Miramax is the waterfall. Endless and awesome.

"For crying out loud, it isn't a theater. You were at the Cinema, and you know it," Mom snapped, "Now you want to tell me why you were fighting... again." How does she know I was fighting? She's always assuming things... even though this time she's right... and usually she's always right... but still...

"I wasn't fi--," I started.

Mom interrupted with, "I know you were. I'm not retarded, you know."

"Well, you sure act like you are, retard," I snapped, turning to jump out the window easily. I ignored mom yelling at me to come back, and just started towards Lake Miramax. She won't expect me to go there. Besides, I haven't ever gone behind that waterfall. I've thought about it, but the last person who tried was killed. And that was a mountain climber who saw a challenge. The stupid moron grabbed the wrong rock--there are a million wrong rocks--and fell to his death. Actually, he fell, hit his head, and then drowned to death.

It's not like I was going back to get my bikini, so I figured I'd just have to get my clothes wet. The shoes would have to go. Feet can maintain a better grip. Especially when you have monkey feet like me. That has to go with flexibility, though. That way you can grab stuff off the ground, and then be able to reach your foot up so that you can grab it with your hands. Lazy people rock, I guess.

Do I have a boyfriend? I can't remember. Oh well.

I stopped on the road, and then started through the trees. There usually was a dog that could sense whenever people were going towards the lake. Its tag read 'Marley', and I couldn't identify what type of dog it was. Still, she wasn't a guard dog, but more of a people's pet. Everybody's pet. And while my pack wanted to torture the dog, I convinced them to leave it alone. I'm a softy when it comes to animals. Especially sweet ones like Marley. Marley wasn't there, though. Odd as it is, I didn't actually care.

The Lake came into sight, and it looked different. Well, it is in the middle of the night, so that could have affected it. Especially seeing as I only come here during the day. The waterfall was far out into the lake. At the end of the waterfall, the water was deep enough to where if you jumped from the cliff, you couldn't ever touch the bottom. I did, a couple of times. When I dove down, I continued down until I touched the sand at the bottom. It was black sand. I tried to get some to the surface, but each time the sand would trickle away before I got to the top.

A person can't get behind the waterfall by swimming to the rock wall where the waterfall ends. The water leans against it, so that when you get to the wall, it's like a heavy fall of a shower. There's a cave farther up the rock wall--way far up--that would most likely be like a room with the waterfall as it's door. Otherwise known as impossible to get to.

You had to go around the lake, climbing over the rocks and hills. The most a person went was to the cliff. There was a large space between the cliff and the next rock. The mountain climber had climbed down to that space, and then started climbing up to the next rock. There he had slipped, and fell into the water. Hitting his head on the way, of course. Stupid retard.

I climbed onto the cliff, remember the billion times I jumped off it and into the Lake. Then there was the large space between me and the next rock. So if you're Christian, you could think of it as this thing I had seen as I was stealing food from the church once. The cliff I was on is me. The rock I want to go to is God. And the space between is sin. Now... where the hell is Jesus to die, and cause a bridge over sin? Or maybe I have to kill someone, and wait until they're stiff. Then I could use them as a bridge.

They'd have to be really tall, though.

I decided to jump. Yes, it's a long ways to jump to, but I had a death wish. Besides, there seemed to be enough room on this cliff. I backed up as far as I could. I shook my hands, arms, and shoulders. Get my balance. I could do this. Like that little choo-choo train. What exactly was that train trying to--

I ran forward, and jumped with all my will. The split second in the air was shocking when my feet landed on solid rock. My surprise caused me to slightly bounce back, and I started to fall off the rock. I flailed my arms desperately, and when I caught my balance, I left my arms in the air to make sure I didn't move. Close call. Man, I knew I wouldn't fall. I wasn't even scared. Well... I wasn't TOO scared. Just an itty, bitty, tensy, winsey bit.

Anyways, I had just made it farther than anyone ever has. Go me! I've got to throw a party. I've got to get ahold of G.L. for that, though. Rock on.

I started forward slowly, making sure to not fall down or anything. The roar of the waterfall sent sprays of water to hit my skin. It was cold, but I still wanted to get behind it. Once I did this, I could forever have a hiding place. Maybe I could make it a home or something. A home away from hell. When I got to just beside the waterfall, I looked up to see the cave. I knew there was a cave! Now to climb this part... the hardest part.

I latched my fingers around two dents in the rock wall. It was dripping wet, but I still got a grip. I looked down at how high I was. If I fell now, it would be the end of it all. I looked forward, and blew out a wisp of air that hit a bit of my hair out of my eyes. Then I started to climb up the rock wall. I didn't feel as if I was trying my hardest to excel. My lungs didn't burn from lack of oxygen. My fingers didn't feel raw. My arms and legs didn't feel sore. So I continued towards the cave with more confidence.

I remember how the coach tried to get me to join some athletics. I had asked mom about it, but she said no. That wasn't a thing fit for girls, mom had explained. In a way, I'm glad she didn't let me. I wouldn't have become the troublemaker I am today! Though I was extremely mad about that. Girls can do anything boys can do... except for the exceptional things. Hey, girls have more problems anyways.

I clamped my hand on the edge of the cave. This was followed with my other hand. I started to pull myself up, feeling the excitement of my triumph. A smile on my face could define this excitement. That is, until two unfamiliar hands latched onto the back of mine own. My smile faded sharply, and was replaced with confusion and shock. Shock enough to have my feet slip from my grip.

I yelped, digging my claws into the solid rock. Meanwhile, I struggled to get my feet back into a grip on the wall, but all I could find was flat rock along with some small protruding bumps. The bumps weren't enough for me to get a grip on. My only hope was my grip on the edge of the cave with my hands.

In my struggle, I almost forgot about the stranger hands. My eyes shot up sharply to look into the face of a guy. He had a strange look in his blue eyes, and tightened his grip on my hands. This loosened my own grip on the edge, and I started to panic.

"HELP," I screeched, desperately trying to keep ahold of the edge. If this moronic freak would just let me go, I could pull myself up or something! "LET GO OF ME," I screamed at him, feeling his grip tightening. He started to pry my hands away from the solid rock.

My hand broke away from the edge, and the guy's grip actually started to loosen! Is he insane?! Before I knew it, he shook his head, and pulled me without effort into the cave. Then he did let go of my hands, and stood up. I rolled over onto my back, gasping from the panic that had tore its way through me. Once I calm down, I'm going to grab that idiot and throw him off the edge of this cave. Life in prison? It's worth it.

I rolled over onto my stomach, and pushed myself to stand up. I then glared at this stranger furiously. He was leaning against the inner wall of the cave, glaring at me as well. As if I had tried to kill him or something. Wait... isn't that what I'm fixing to do? Sounds good to me.

He had blonde hair... really blonde hair. His baby blue eyes were also mixed with a sharp edge. He looked maybe 6'2... a wide contrast to my 5'6. He had no shirt on, and this showed how pale he was. Almost shockingly pale. His muscles would have been shocking, but I was use to ignoring male attraction. There wasn't a freckle on him, and he must have never hit the acne puberty time. This didn't shock me, seeing as I hadn't either. His baggy black pants covered over his feet, but I knew they were bare because his shoes were in the corner of the cave.

I couldn't tell one main thing, though. I couldn't tell his age. Now, you could go by how old he looks... which would be in the range of 16-20. Yes, a large range, but you have to consider the health of him and all this different stuff. Wrinkles... blemishes... all of those things he doesn't have. Or you could go by their eyes. Which I would say arranges 80-a billion. I don't know. Eyes can be extremely unreliable, though. I don't know what environment he's been through. Then you could go by the way he acts. From what I've seen... I have no clue. There's also the tone of voice, and the vocabulary. The problem is that he hasn't said a thing.

I guess I'll have to start a conversation before attempting to kill him. Give a guy a chance.


	7. Chapter 6

Hey, I'm glad loads of people like the sequel so far. Just so you know, I'm going to try updating five a day until I got all of them out. I love the reviews. :P And once I'm done with this posting Sequel, I've got another funny vampire story I'll start posting even if I'm not finished with it. Thanks!

Part Six:

"How did you get up here," I asked accusingly. My triumph has been faltered by the realization that someone else has made it up here. I leaned back against the opposite inner wall that this guy was leaning against. He didn't seem to want to talk at first.

"I climbed," he suddenly replied, though. Oh, we have a smart ass. How great is that? Yeah, right.

"No way! I figured you flew in here," I replied sarcastically, following my mom's tactics of not smiling. Sometimes that's hard because I don't usually like to be sarcastic to strangers. It's against my sociable rules of getting along. Still, I went on with, "How did you climb up here with those kind of pants?"

Of course I was referring to his baggy black pants. If they covered his feet, it'd be pretty hard to not get caught on them. My own jeans only cover to the area of connection between my toes and my feet, but they didn't get in the way of my climbing. Unlike mister stranger who nearly got me killed.

"I climbed," he repeated dully, "And I didn't let my pants get in the way." So informant. In this case, I would go on to ignore the stranger because of their lack in wanting to continue a conversation. This was an exception, though. I had to be safely assured that once I start to leave, this moron won't try to push me off.

"Well," I started slowly, "What's your name, then?" This was a good simple question. Remember, never ask a 'yes' or 'no' question. Not good with these type of people.

"Ryen James," the stranger stated after a moment of hesitation.

I scoffed when he didn't ask for my name. And I thought I was rude. Right. I said anyways, "And I'm Sprice Orome. Otherwise known as L.T.P., but whatever fits your boot." Then, to be nice, I smiled brightly. It was only for a second, though. More of a flash than not. That's usually how I do my smiles. Short, but to the point. Usually it confuses people, and they don't realize how rare that is. I'm not even sure if they actually see it, anyways.

There was silence for a moment, and I said the only thing I could think of. "Want to hear a story," I asked out of nowhere. Usually my stories are really short. That is... because when I tell the type of stories that I was offering to Ryen, it's in rhyme. Plus, I'd have to come up with it on the spot. It was something I started doing in class to make fun of our teacher. Then people thought it was funny so they had me do it some more. I never repeated stories, though.

"What kind of story," Ryen asked suspiciously.

I shrugged, "A short story. I'll have to think of it, but it won't take but a few seconds." There was more silence, and then Ryen shrugged. I thought over any type of story for a moment, and then looked up at the roof of the cave.

Then I recited shortly, "There once was a guy named Greg.

He had too big of a head.

So to make it little, we hit him with a fiddle,

but we hit too hard and he was dead."

I looked at Ryen to see his reaction. Surprisingly, he said, "Tell another one." This wasn't a hard thing to do what-so-ever. So I thought for a bit, not noticing how Ryen had started to inch towards me.

"There was a girl named Matty.

She was known as the class fatty.

So she ate her skin to become thin,

but she ended up looking like a hamburger patty," I said.

I liked that one. It makes no sense, but that's how I roll. I glanced at Ryen, and he gestured for more. Well, at least he likes rhyming short stories. So I thought some more, coming up with my last story for tonight, ladies and gentlemen.

I started, "There once was a dude named Eddie.

His life was full of spaghetti!

Then he found that spaghetti made him fat,

and he had to marry a fat girl named Betty."

Ryen laughed, appearing just beside me. I edged to the side--away from Ryen--, and shrugged.

"You should write those down. You sound like a poet," Ryen stated, sounding amused. He was obviously enjoying the boring show. Anyways, poets are dorks. I'm no poet.

"I don't write," I said shortly. It was true, I never wrote anything more than my name on my paper. I always either had people write my reports so that I could type them, and I always had people do all my homework. I'm persuasive like that... in a threatening way. It's the tests that have me failing my classes. They're 80 of my grade. Whatever I did think to write down was from a slip of cheat paper. I never wrote anything that came from myself.

Before Ryen could say anything, I started towards the edge of the cage. "Well, I'm going to go now," I said sharply, "Goodbye." And I start looking for something good I could grip. I was planning on going straight down, and when I was at a safe distance... I could just jump the rest.

"Wait, are you coming back," Ryen asked suddenly. What? Looking for another chance to kill me?

I glanced at him for a second. Eh, what harm could come from this? "Sure," I replied with a sigh, "Why not?" And then I gripped onto a piece of rock, and started my way down the rock wall. But I suddenly paused.

"You know, once I did write something on my teacher's board," I told Ryen with a smirk, "He ended up getting fired for sexual actions with his male students."

"What'd you write," Ryen asked curiously. I shrugged.

"I think I said 'Mr. Hild sucks little boy's balls'," I replied slowly, "Or something of the sort. Oh well." And I continued down the rock wall, ignoring the water pouring on me.

My dreams never seem to be dreams. More like memories, actually. Usually the memory has to do with something that had happened that day. If not, it would be about what I was thinking just before I went to sleep. My problem is that I can't ever focus on one thing and go to sleep at the same time. In order to fall asleep, I have to let my mind wander to God knows what. So I don't usually remember what the last thing I was thinking was.

I've been friends with R.L. since sixth grade. I've known her since fourth grade, but barely. We hung out with the same people, but never actually talked to each other. I just know that when I did meet her, she was the biggest pussy a person could know. She always worried about getting caught. She worried about everything. R.L. preferred to avoid it all.

I was a different story. I don't think I ever got past the rage stage, but I'm not as bad as when I was younger. Besides, I had this problem with beating people as a habit. Along with stealing anything I desired in sight. I had been in trouble before for hitting a girl my age for talking too loud when I was trying to was 'A Bugs Life'. I had ripped a perfectly innocent girls' dolls' heads off just because she wanted to play with me. Then I had thrown that same girl's guitar out the three story window... after calling her a retard. My success was getting her to bawl like a baby.

R.L. had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. She was a natural at getting in trouble for things she didn't do. So when a kid was cheating off of R.L.'s test paper, and she told him to stop... R.L. was the one blamed for cheating. The problem with R.L. was her lack in response of words. Instead, she had this repulsive issue that sometimes led to violent reactions. So when R.L. got a zero on her test (supposably for cheating), and the original cheater laughed, R.L. turned around and stabbed her pencil through the back of the boy's hand.

Meanwhile, I had stormed out of my class because the teacher had called on me to answer a math question. She fully well knew that I wasn't paying attention. Then again, I didn't have my math book, so now I had to go all the way to my locker and fetch it. I had what... five minutes?

At the same time I reached my locker, Crystal Norway arrived at hers. Crystal and I use to be pretty good friends for four months in fourth grade. That was until Crystal started hanging out with the cheer prep queen, Kate Lorey. Now, in sixth grade, Crystal was all about herself, and torturing lowers of course. Even though her locker was just next to mine, I preferred to ignore her.

Still, when Crystal had already opened her locker, I opened mine. Just as I was reaching in for my text book, Crystal slammed my locker door shut. I had twisted to glare at her. But she only started to pull out her stuff from her locker. Apparently, she was being checked-out. At this point, I had forgotten about the book. I mean, the thing I had in mind wasn't going to let me go off to class again, anyways.

"Crystal, what's that," I had asked, pointing at the inner of her locker. I walked around her as she searched in confusion. To make it simple, I had easily slammed the locker onto all eight of her fingers (seeing as her thumbs were safely out of the way). I never thought a girl could scream that way. It was as if I had stabbed her. Ah, well.

Anyways, while R.L., known as Ray at the time, was being sent to the office for stabbing a boy's hand, I was being dragged to the office for (which I found out later) breaking eight fingers out of ten of Crystal's. At least I didn't have to deal with Crystal for another month or so. The point is, that's how I met R.L. We were both in the office, waiting to be punished. I had a quite pleased expression as I had greeted the office people who knew me on first name level. R.L. looked completely shocked at her own daring, and quite scared.

Of course, I had started the conversation. I've seen all the usuals get in this office a billion times, so I was wondering what goody-goody was doing in such a different scene. Once she had told me what she did, I knew that I had to hang out with this one. Since then, we had be the closest friends you could be without becoming lesbian.

Last night, though, I had a memory in my mind. It was a memory that I had kept in my head long after being through it. At least, until I got into some trouble because of it. It was in eighth grade, and I had been with R.L. We had snuck her out of her house not long after she had got in a fight with her mother. R.L. called me to tell me to come get her.

Not knowing where to go, we just walked and walked. The night sky was almost like a dream. There wasn't any noises except for crickets, frogs, and other night time animals. I had already gotten R.L. lost, so I just started heading towards higher places. This ended up taking us to the top of this really high hill where the trees all seemed to cower over, leaning to protect the center of the hill from view. Yet there was a breaking in the center of it, and you could see the night sky. When I looked up, it was as if the sky wasn't so far up, but just at the base of the tip of the trees.

I use to lift my hands to the sky while I laid down. That way it made it look as if my hands were actually touching the stars. It made me feel as if I wasn't on Earth anymore, but in space. Empty space. Without the problems of life to concern me. I like to think death to be like that. No worries. No fears. No happiness, but no sadness at the same time. Nothing but space that made you feel safe... while hell is being where I happened to be.

"You ever think about killing yourself," R.L. had asked me when I told her all this. We both were laying on our backs, and starring at the things above us. There was no fear of getting dirty or bugs. It's called a shower, you know. And snakes? So you get bit, big deal. We've got to die someday anyways.

I turned to look at R.L. to see if she was serious, but she was only looking ahead. "Well," I replied extremely slowly, "I don't think anybody hasn't... or won't think about that. At least once in their life, everybody has got to feel so low that they want to let go." I considered that a good reply, by the way.

"No," apparently R.L. didn't, "I don't care about anybody else, L.T.P., have YOU thought about killing yourself before?" I didn't answer. I don't know if I should tell R.L. the truth sometimes. It's as if I'm afraid of what she'll think. Not about me, but about following me. So I prefer to talk about happy things with her. That way she doesn't think too much about the bad things, like she's had to her whole life. "Because I have," R.L. finished, still trying to get an answer.

"You have," I asked incredulously. Of course she has. It's not like I didn't know that.

"I swallowed pills once," R.L. admitted, "A lot of them, but they didn't work. Sometimes I think God's just trying to keep me alive to torture me." The rage in the last sentence wasn't what shocked me, though. I twisted around onto my stomach, and punched R.L. in the arm. "What's that for," R.L. said in shock, widening her eyes at me in innocence.

"You know what? I have," I said firmly, "But each time I thought about your dumb ass. I thought about how I'd never leave you alone in this stupid world, and I figured you'd think the same thing for me." R.L. didn't answer, but only looked back up at the sky.

"You promise me," I told her forcefully, "I want you to promise me."

"Promise what," she asked dully.

"Promise me you won't leave me like everybody else does," I said, accidently admitting a feeling I had never told a soul before, "Promise me you won't try to go killing yourself..." I almost said 'without telling me first', but I remember how knowing someone was going to commit suicide and not telling was like aiding in the suicide. So I left it like that.

"Fine," R.L. promised bitterly, "I promise. I don't know why you want me to suffer, anyways. What kind of life do I got if I've never even touched a horse before? I'm thinking on being a veterinarian, and I don't even know anything about a fucking horse." She scoffed. I scoffed. We all scoffed.

"You've seen a horse before," I told her, "At that fair."

"But I didn't touch it," R.L. contradicted. I didn't say anything. R.L. loved horses, actually. She had pictures on her posters in her room. The only thing she loved more than horses was her dog. I think she'd kill me over her dog. I think I'd kill her dog for that very reason, though. Not being jealous, but the thing bit me and R.L. got mad at ME for it. Spoiled... no good... evil dog.


	8. Chapter 7

Part Seven:

There's these days that everybody has at least one day of their life. A day where when one thing goes wrong, everything goes wrong. Sometimes, if you get lucky, they're just little things. Nothing bothers you too much. The next day, it's all back to normal. And, if you're lucky, you can even sense the bad things getting prepared to happen. Trust me, if you sense it, just lay back down and pretend to be sick.

Other times, though, it isn't so good. They can change your life. Like, when R.L. had her really bad day, her father appeared out of nowhere to beat the crap out of her mom. Then her sister had a panic attack. Followed by continuous yelling, and scrambling that shattered R.L.'s favorite glass antique. Then, to top it all off, her rotweiler was shot by her neighbor for trying to mate with their dog. It's animal instinct, the retard.

R.L. has been depressed every since.

I woke up today feeling slightly sick to my stomach. There was a small headache formed in the middle of my brain, but these could have been the side-effect of over drinking before a school day. Well, at least we didn't drive. We just walked; the pack and I of course. Since Lucky Charm's grief of her little sister being killed in a drunk driving incident, we've been big on the 'Don't Drink And Drive' movement.

Hell, once we all stood outside a bar, watching for drunk people to head for a driver's seat. Instead of advising the drunks to not drive, we'd ambush them. Then we'd beat the hell out of the person, and stick them in the back seat of the car for them to get our point. Yes, I know that isn't being nice, but they're the ones who started it. Trying to drive when they're drunk. How do we tell? By how they're taking forever to walk to the car, tripping a billion times on the way, and then wondering why the car door won't open after repeating the process of clicking the lock button.

Once I walked outside, I raised my hand to cover my eyes. It was more brighter than usual, and I could feel a slight irritation of a future sun burn. My headache was growing as I walked towards the school. It had to do with the heat, of course, along with a small hangover. It did seem a lot hotter than usual. I thought the February weather was suppose to be cool... and damn, that means this summer will be a bitch.

I walked into the air conditioned halls, feeling loads better. I made my usual way through the halls, heading straight to my locker. I pulled out my stuffed neopet, which I had found on a school bus, so I figured it deserved to stay within its home. The school. I opened the back of it, and pulled out twenty dollars. Why, you may ask? I might need it.

I usually go to the library to hang out with R.L. Then I'd head outside to be with the rest. R.L. hasn't been to school lately, so I had just started to go straight outside. Seeing as the weather seemed hard on me, I decided to go see if R.L. was back, yet. When I looked through the window, I saw R.L. sitting at our usual table with two loners who usually sit within the groups of our groups of tables at lunch.

As I approached, one loner pointed at me, and R.L. twisted to look. I waved slowly, checking the mood perimeter, and R.L. only turned. This was usually how it was, so I sat down on my spot as if nothing had happened. I listened to R.L.'s conversation with the loners.

One suddenly turned to me, "I heard you got in a fight at the Cinema." I turned my attention to the girl, and shrugged.

"The guy punched G.L., so I retaliated for him," I replied, "Besides, I didn't get grounded. My mom let me off, finally, after I ran away long enough for her to cool her boat."

"You got in a fight with your mom," the girl asked, acting as if my life were so exciting. My life is stupid and useless. I'd trade anybody, except for R.L. kind of people.

"Well, we're always getting in arguments," I started, "But usually it's nothing." I turned to look at R.L. "Hey, R.L., you know what happened after I ran off," I asked, "I went off towards the Miramax Lake, and--"

R.L. grabbed her bag, and stood up furiously. "I don't care, Sprice," she snapped, "Nobody cares." And she stormed out of the library. I watched her go with my mouth partly open.

Then I looked at the loners. "Did I say something," I asked, slightly annoyed. They both shrugged, and I got up to leave the library. I was just going to head outside to recall the conversation, and see if they could tell what I did to piss R.L. off so much.

Just as I turned down the hall, I saw a large group of students surround something around the lockers. There was yelling, along with hands raised to egg whoever on. It sounded like a fight, so I started towards it to make sure it wasn't someone I knew. There were sounds of "Loser!" and "Faggot!" being screamed into the circle.

As I shoved my way through, the sight of a jock came into view. At first, I didn't see anybody else, so it looked as if the jock was fighting himself. Then I looked down at the ground to see a scrawny freshman being stomped on. He looked like a frightened mouse, and he was whimpering in pain. The jock had started pulling out stuff from the open locker, and started ripping paper. I assumed this was the freshman's homework. A senior jock beating up a freshman dork. So classic.

I sighed, rolling my eyes, and started to walk off. Then the freshman squeaked, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to look at you! I'm sorry!" And I paused. I turned to see the jock kick the freshman, and continue to shred his things. Ooooh, the disrespect. The stupidity. Beating up someone because they look at you, and then not quitting when they apologize? I mean, that goes against my 'be nice to strangers' rule.

I turned without actually thinking about it, and started walking into the clearing fighting area. More like torturing area, but whatever. The senior jock didn't spot me, so he didn't see me coming at him. I grabbed the hair on the back of his head, and slammed his head against the locker. Then I shoved him to the ground, and kicked him a couple of times.

"Moron," I snapped, and turned to the freshman. He winced, as if thinking I was going to kick him. I should, just for the heck of it. Instead, I grabbed him, and pulled him to his feet. Then I started dragging him out of the circle of people, who had started cheering because there was still a small fight. Especially seeing as I had just smashed a jocks head against lockers.

"My glasses," the freshman said, looking blindly around. We had already escaped the circle, so I sighed in major annoyance. Then I glared at the freshman.

"Have you ever dogged me," I asked accusingly.

He looked at me with confusion, "What?"

"Have. You. Ever. Dissed. Me.,"I repeated sharply, "You ever talk about me behind my back? Laugh when I walk by? Maybe look at me as if I'm an idiot? Anything of the sort? Even thinking about dogging me?" I was finding a reason to throw him back in the circle to defend himself.

He shook his head quickly. I sighed, "Fine, but if I hear you ever did, I'm going to kick your ass." The freshman didn't reply, so I stomped back through the circle.

The yelling was getting annoying, but the jock was standing, and he looked pissed. I spotted the glasses just behind him, and started after them. Before I knew it, the senior threw a punch at me. I ducked, and slammed my fist into his face. He fell back into the lockers, and I grabbed the cracked glasses on the ground.

As I walked back to the dork, I shoved the glasses into his hands. "You'd better run," I advised, and started storming towards the exit. I still had to confront my pack, you see. Only L.C. was outside, and G.L. had stayed home from his hangover.

At lunch, my headache had grown considerably. My stomach was twisting and turning constantly, as well. When I asked H.L. what she thought, she had turned her green eyes on me slowly. It was her purity look. As if in one look, she could tell all that was wrong with a soul, and could fix it with a snap of her finger. It was one I've had on me a billion times, but just decided to ignore her.

"Eat," H.L. had said slowly, "Get full, and there'll be no more problems, I'm sure. It's that or you need liquids." The way she talked with a soft voice could put chills down your back. Not in a way of love, but because anyone could tell that this girl had been heart broken way too many times.

Unlike what I usually do, I grabbed a plate of dry, nasty cafeteria food. The only thing I considered edible was the french fries. Otherwise, the hamburger is usually a 70/30 risk. Not to mention that they serve the same thing time and again. The cafeteria goes wild when they finally decide to serve chicken sandwiches instead of hamburgers. They go even more insane with cold pizza, soup, and jumbo hotdogs. As long as the french fries are there, I'm good.

I started to eat, and looked at around the cafeteria. R.L. was always late, of course. I've notice how things besides the fact that we all go into our stereotype groups. Most of us seem to go to group with more of our racial features in it. The black people of the school were mainly in this wide group of tables next to the windows. White people were everywhere. The foreign exchange students stayed together. There were only three Chinese looking people, but they all three went to different racial groups.

But not all of us were like that. In my groups of groups, there was black, white, yellow, purple, and green. Religion didn't matter either. There was a Christian and an Atheist laughing together. Then there were Baptists, Methodists, Mormon, Wiccan (yes, there was one), Pentecostal or something of that sort, and that religion I like to call Homodists. That's usually the religion of homosexuals or bisexuals around here. They believe in a God, but somehow God is female... and a lesbian for getting Virgin Mary pregnant. I've asked G.L. how that worked out.

"You see," He had said at the opportunity, "Only a woman could be so elegant and smart to make a world with such definition as this one. With the care to think of everything. So God has to be a woman. And to be a woman who gave Mary her son, God would have to be a lesbian." He had ended it with a confident smile, but I just laughed. Not laughed as in telling him his religion was wrong, but laughed as in 'that's funny'.

I think we even had a Buddhist in this group, too. These groups should be labeled "Race, Religion, and Sexuality don't matter" or something. I added Sexuality because we have all the bisexuals, and two of the four gay guys in school. There happens to be one full-blown lesbian, but all the other females of the curiosity group are bi. So they can have their female partner, with care of actual feelings rather than a jerk who has nothing but sex on their mind. Then when they get bored of girls for a bit, she can go get herself a man.

R.L. suddenly appeared into the cafeteria. I waited, wondering if she was still mad or something. L.C. was looking as well, along with a couple of others. Apparently, they all heard about the one-sided argument R.L. was having with me. R.L. started towards us, but stopped. Then she sat down next to Kate Lorey in the robot group. It was a blow, actually. L.C. snapped her attention to me, and then started chomping down her food to not get involved.

Classes started, and I actually didn't skip. Everything went fine until my Algebra 1 class. Yes, I'm still in Algebra 1. I'm stupid like that. So, anyways, here I was... sitting there... watching the teacher explain the f.o.i.l. technique. Nobody knew that I knew all of this stuff. Something always kept me from wanting to write things down, though, so I just... got zeros.

I've noticed that if you ever finish your F.o.i.l. technique, and the lines are left behind, it looks as if you can add a hat, eyes, nose, and mouth to make a face. I've never tried to point this out. The teacher would be more like 'How come you can't pay more attention to the problem, than what the problem looks like' and stuff.

My stomach had been silenced for awhile, so I guess I was hungry before. Good thing I had H.L. around. People had started to ask me if R.L. and I were still friends. The problem is, I didn't know the answer to that. You can't just end a friendship for no reason. I had it in my mind that I was going to talk to R.L. about this. She'd have to tell me what she's so mad about, and we could talk it out. I always have to start this because R.L. prefers to be an avoider when it comes to those kinds of things.

Without warning, my stomach turned into fire. My head exploded with pain. I groaned, and snatched the edge of my desk. Everybody turned their head to look at me, but I only slammed my head against the surface of the desk. This was worse than this morning. My heart was acting weird. It felt as if it was skipping beats continuously. It left me breathless, and in enormous pain.

"Miss Orome," my female teacher said in annoyance, "You will be quiet, or you'll answer the problem on the board. It's your choice." How about I rip off your head? Maybe bust your knees, rip off your fingernails, and stab them into your eyeballs? Shut up, woman. Shut up!

"MISS OROME," the teacher yelled when I guess I interrupted with a yelp from another sharp pain, "Office, NOW! And a zero on tonight's homework." Oh, thank whoever's God, freedom.

I shoved myself up, and nearly fell on the way out of the classroom. As I went the opposite direction of the office, I found the nearest exit. The moment I walked out into the open, the sunlight sent an irritation on my skin. Not too bad, but enough to know it's there. I continued to walk in the direction of my home. I had to get out of here. I had to just fall asleep, and wake up to be all right again.

I fell down next to a different building, the pain in my stomach being too much. And suddenly there was a new pain. Just perfect. I could feel a burning sensation throughout my body, as if the fire in my stomach decided to grow in my veins and muscles. The pain in my head felt as if someone had stabbed a screw into it, and was now twisting it so that I was practically blind. I opened my mouth in a silenced scream, and a yelp came out when a rather sharp pain appeared just in my teeth.

My fingers were in pain as my nails sharpened, and then lengthened. Before I knew it, someone grabbed my arm from the shadows of the house, and slammed me against the wall. Seeing as I was blinded with pain, I couldn't actually tell who it was. Except for the fact that the dude was extremely tall. Whoever it was pulled close to me, and pried open my eyelids.

He looked at my eyes, and then my nails. Before I knew it, he was pressing his fingers against my neck, just below my jaw, for my pulse. And then he grabbed my jaw, and opened my mouth. Is this guy a doctor/dentist or what? Suddenly, I could feel some sort of warm liquid dripping onto my tongue. At first, I was confused. Then I grabbed whatever the liquid came from, and bit into it. Whatever it was, it happened to be the thing getting rid of all the pain at the moment.

"It'll only happen to you sometimes," a voice said slowly, "seeing as you're only half." I pushed away the liquid, and tried to blink the blur from my eyes.

"Half what," I asked in a slur.

There was a silence, followed by, "Half vampire." All the exhaustion of the worse day of my life fell on my head, and I leaned back to close my eyes for blackness. Haven't you heard the latest news? Vampires aren't real. Sorry.


	9. Chapter 8

Part Eight:

What do you do... when you're the influence? People always speak of staying above the influence, but never about being the influence. I know sometimes they say stuff about setting a good example to influence others to do the same. So what do you do if you're the bad influence? If you're the one who comes up with all the things to do, and convince others to do the same thing?

Well, I guess you do what you do. Influence others to do wrong, and let others try to get them to stay above it all. At least, that's what I planned to do with my time. I'm only here to try to find some way to unbore the bored. And it's not like I convince them to do anything bad. Like kill somebody.

Besides, they choose me. Like the train vandalism incident. I could remember the whole pack hanging on the porch outside my house, H.L. included. This was, of course, before H.L. got into Christianity and all that other 'cleanse your soul' stuff. This was when H.L. was just a mad as the rest of us. In fact, this was at the time when she was being regularly visited by a therapist to try to sort out her cutting mess.

Maybe if she wasn't suffering from being raped, she'd stop, huh? No, instead H.L. was being told to take anti-depressants, which H.L. did not do. Of course, L.C. and I were both being told to do the same thing, but I was already the happiest bitch you could meet.

L.C. provided us all with our blunts. As long as my mom didn't come home, we wouldn't get in trouble for getting high. They tell us not to do it, but why not? It's not like it's damaging anything except for our stable minds. And, I mean, we didn't exactly need our minds stable in eighth grade. Grades don't count until High School, and even then I'd be too stupid to care. Though... the smarter ones seem to be the ones who don't get high. Say, R.L. for example. I don't think she ever got high in her life with us.

R.L. was sitting on the top step of the porch, talking about the latest argument with her mom. That's usually her complaints, seeing as she never talked about her father. I think she was embarrassed about what happened with her father, and would never be talking about it. Never. Ever.

I think we all had our own problems to get us together. G.L. was a homosexual. His parents denied it, and completely started to reject him. Especially after he stopped looking 'suitable', and had converted to being an emo homo. More goth included, too. He was the unwanted one of his family, almost near disowned, but no shame of that sort would enter his family.

H.L. was more of a hurt person. She had a billion siblings to share with, which came with no privacy. She had to share a room with her three younger sisters. Then she had four brothers across the hall, seeing as they all lived in a three bedroom trailer. Her mother's drunk boyfriend had ended up raping her, but her mother didn't believe such a thing could happen. So now H.L. cut herself, both on arms and legs, and even attempted suicide. I think she did it more out of guilt for the trouble she causes people.

L.C. was more of a girl who brought upon her own problems. She had one sister she lived with, but they lived in separate rooms. Her parents were together, actually. No problems as far as I'd heard. L.C. was into hard drugs, though, and was continually grounded. Mainly for sneaking out, whether to be with the pack or with her many boyfriends. Unlike me, she actually cared for most of her boyfriends. At least enough to remember their names.

Me... I don't think I have problems. I think I am the problem. At least, that's what my "vampire" father must have thought, or he wouldn't have just disappeared before I could even know what he looked like. Gee, at least he stayed long enough to help name me. Good job, daddy! What would I do without you? Yeah, right.

R.L.'s problems are that her dad touched her. Both abusively and sexually, but she's still a virgin. So nothing worse than touching, and yelling. Now she cuts herself because of the rage filled hostility she lived in. Plus, her high marks in school causes her to think that she's above all. I think I'm the only person who keeps her feet on the ground, but she gets mad when I've done something better or worse than her. Mad or jealous. Loads of people don't like her because she's like an emo prep, but still a prep. It's just the difference that keeps me interested in staying friends with her, actually. R.L. was just... my best friend for years.

L.C. was away from the pack verbally, and was writing carefully. I slipped just behind her, looking over her shoulder. "What'cha doing," I asked sweetly. L.C. jumped, but laughed because of it. Then she looked over to see the whole pack was interested.

"It's just a poem I wrote," L.C. confessed, looking slightly embarrassed, but it was quickly hidden. She smiled brightly, "It sucks, so you wouldn't want to hear it anyways."

I looked at the rest of the pack, and shrugged. "Why not," I said, "Tell us it. Come on. Don't be shy." And I nudged her shoulder.

"It's a song, actually, but it's called 'Close Your Eyes'," L.C. started with a sigh, "And it goes like this:

It's making me run faster and faster in circles. I'm going nowhere. It's dimming the lights darker and darker 'til it's black. 'Til I can't see. Don't you see me? Making myself bleed to please you. To please you.

Close your eyes and it all goes away. Guess that's what you've been doing all along. What you've found in me wasn't good enough. And the words I scream sound all wrong.

Tonight seems to stay sane. The cold and the rain numbing me. I'm getting nowhere. You're hands locked on my throat. Twisting and clenching harder. 'Til I can't breathe. Don't you hear me? Making myself scream to please you. But it doesn't please you!

Close your eyes and it all goes away. Guess that's what you've been doing all along. What you've found in me wasn't good enough. And the words I scream sound all wrong.

Can't you see my bleeding? Can't you see my bleeding? I'm bleeding to please you. Can't you hear my screaming? Can't you hear my screaming? I'm screaming to please you!!!!!!!!!!

Close your eyes and it all goes away. Guess that's what you've been doing all along. What you've found in me wasn't good enough. And the words I scream sound all wrong.

Close your eyes and you'll see that it's all so wrong..."

(Written by Candace P.)

G.L. gave her a high five, but R.L. only made a face. She liked to write poetry as well, but they were just repeats and child-like rhyming. I never told her that, but I never told her anything mean.

"Well, it's all right," I said, pretending as if it wasn't great. I actually liked it.

"Why don't you come up with one, then," G.L. suggested, with a smirk planted on his face. I stuck out my tongue, but H.L. suggested the same. Before I knew it, they all wanted to hear me come up with my own little poem. I'm no poet, poets are dorks. Well, with the exception of L.C.

"Fine," I said with a bigger sigh than L.C. I thought for awhile, but couldn't exactly come up with anything. So I based it off the tip of my mind, talking slowly so that I could come up with the next line. "Here it goes:

Guzzling it down like an alcoholic beverage.

Covering up the existence of a bandage.  
I don't ever want to show any proof

of me missing what's left of you.

Smiling, but not ever forgetting

the pain I'll never be forgiving.

Wondering why I even care

that the trust was never there.

Push me softly over the edge.

Keep the truth you never said.

Stab me sweetly with the lies

that I can see behind your eyes.

I'm not stupid; I made a mistake.

There's no end to what I can take.

Though no one could've know what's true,

I can't believe I ever allowed myself to trust you," I finished. And I smirked at the shocked faces of my fellow pack members. As if a person couldn't come up with a rhyme from the top of their heads. It took forever for me to say it, but still. Or maybe it sucked.

"Art is so awesome," H.L. suddenly said. I looked at her. "I wish there was an easy way to get it out to the whole world." And that's when it hit me. Sometimes I wonder if the graffiti we put on the train that night ever got around the world for all to see. Especially that part I had spray-painted on the opposite side that said 'O, Rome". As if I was stupid and misspelled 'oh', but couldn't finish 'Romeo'. At the time, I was wondering if my dad would see that some day, and be reminded that there was one other Orome out in the world.

My eyes snapped open, and I saw that I was in a hospital bed. I had my arm out in front of me, held out as if I had that spray paint in my hand and was spelling out my last name on the side of that train. After a moment, I dropped my hand so that it landed just beside me on the almost shiny white blanket.

Suddenly, my mom's face came into view. "You're here," I said dully.

"Don't sound so disappointed," Mom stated sarcastically, but I didn't hear any of the three tones. In fact, she had a normal voice, which meant I hadn't exactly done anything. Rock on! "You look better, now," Mom continued.

"Don't sound so disappointed," I said sarcastically, but instead of glaring at her, I smirked to show no hard feelings. I looked at my left arm to see a tube in it. The red of it told me it was blood. I looked at mom, "What happened? I remember feeling horrible all day, and heading home."

Mom glanced at the closed door. Then she turned to me. "The security found you just outside the hospital doors, passed out. So they did a check on you to find your blood pressure was out of wack," she explained, "And they found that you had a low blood count, which is why they have you hooked up, but you're getting it back. So you should be fine."

"What happened?"

Mom looked worried. "I'm not an expert in these things, Ice," Mom said uncertainly. I felt a brain jolt at the nickname I hadn't heard from Mom's mouth in forever. It was that stage I had when I wanted to be just like my mom, and so she came up with a nickname close to her nickname. Except that stage was when I could walk, so my nickname was Ice for years. Until I reached my now stage. Which was in middle school.

"Expert in medical thi... you're a fucking doctor," I snapped, feeling the rage come back. Well, it was a nice couple of minutes.

"Watch your tongue," Mom snapped in return, "And I'm talking about in your problem. Your... special, but not quite special kinda problem."

"That's specific," both Mom and I said in unison. She apparently knew exactly what I was going to say. Still, I pouted for a moment, then my eyes raised to look at her in disbelief.

"You can't be talking about a half-vampire problem," I started, the concept already annoying. The look on mom's face answered my question, but I scoffed, "Vampires... seriously. Don't get all superstitious on me. This is serious. I got sick, mom. Not monstrous. SICK!" I was raising my voice to a yell because mom wasn't changing her mind at my words.

"Mom, I could be anemic. Don't think all stupid on this," I ordered angrily, "Anything could be wrong with me. I'm not... I'm not a freak. Don't LOOK at me like that! It was just a spell or something..." Mom had already started to stand up, so I was then full out shouting. "GET BACK HE... it's nothing! Vampires AREN'T real! You stupid... I thought you were a real mom! What is WRONG with YOU!? GET YOUR MIND STRAIGHT," I screeched. That was all I could get out as she shut the door behind her.

I glared at the door. How stupid is this? I could be dying, and she thinks it's vampiric problems. I hesitated at the remembrance of how I had low blood count. I'd never had my blood typed before, but wouldn't a vampire had a variety of blood types? Well, this will prove I'm right.

I looked up at the blood bag, looking at the large letter and the small word after it. "O-negative". Well, that tells me shit. I went to the end of my bed, and grabbed the patient chart. Flipping through the pages, I found the blood type area. 'Unknown'. Seeing as type O usually fits for all types, they were using it for me. Because I had no blood type. How wrong... is that?


	10. Chapter 9

Part Nine:

What's better than a welcome home party that includes the closest people to you? No party, of course.

I was gone for three days, and suddenly it was as if they had almost died. Not me, of course, but them. Not that they needed me -- why they thought they did will never get me -- but they must have been overly bored. And without the person who knew whether they could get out safely in a crisis, they must have just sat around sulking.

The party was thrown by my mom, her trying to make everybody think she's a good mom. When really, if their is a problem, she goes all into her unreal world of sarcasm, and then avoids the problem. Naturally, mom had experience enough to know not to invite the preps. Kudos for her. People from the groups of groups lunch tables came instead.

The pack, not including R.L... but including H.L., knew that I wouldn't be too happy about this thing. So H.L. grabbed my arm as I walked into the surprise, and towed me away to the back of the house. Away from the party. "Woah, thanks," I said, actually looking at H.L. I hadn't been hanging around her too much, seeing as rehab had started a number on her. Along with the church she went to. And the 4-H clubs.

This H.L. was beautiful in an angelic way. The softness in her eyes intimidated me, but I didn't show it. She didn't wear those thick bracelets or metal chains, and her clothes were normal. Her shirt being a light shade of blue with a four leaf clover. Each clover had an 'H' on it. Then her pants weren't black, but blue jeans. Her nails were clear, and when I looked, I could barely see the million scars on her wrists. If I were to tell someone... I'd say that my gothic, disturbing H.L. had been purified and healed. The thing that gave her the most interest was this: she looked happy.

All this I had in mind as she said, "Oh, no problem. Everybody knows Sprice hates those publicity ways." And H.L. poked my nose. She always did that. It was so annoying, before and now. Yet her weird ways still made me laugh. And soon we were singing in bad pitch, seeing as I did it on purpose so that I sounded just as bad as H.L., "Crazy. Crazy for feeeling so lonelyyyyy. I'm crazy... crazy for feeeeling sooo bluuuue..." And we went on. It was our favorite thing to do to annoy people.

As I walked into the room that L.C. and G.L. were in, I felt a slight disappointment that R.L. was missing. Then H.L. started to back out. "Where're you going," I asked, surprised. H.L. smiled brightly, but continued backing up. Then I spotted the weed. H.L. went to rehab, and this would be torturing her. I turned to L.C. and G.L.

"Want some," G.L. asked quickly, thinking I was getting confused that I had none. I'm not a pothead, so I didn't feel a pull towards it.

"No way," I said shortly, "That stuff thins blood, and I was in the hospital for lack of blood. So you two put those away. Now!" I did this so that H.L. wouldn't feel as if she were to blame for this. I wanted her to stay. L.C. sighed, but they both put up the weed.

"H.L.," L.C. started happily, "Haven't seen you since you went off to save the word. How've you been!?" And H.L., feeling safer, sat down inside the room. I sat down next to her.

"Actually," H.L. said slowly, "I go by Hope, now. I don't mind it so much because it fits me... and how I feel now. In my church, they told me that your name is special because God made it for you before you were born. That He thought about it for each child. So I thought I'd keep my name how it is to keep close to Him."

The uncomfortable tension could be touched in this room. L.C. believed there was no God. G.L. didn't refer to God as Him, but as Her. And I... well... I believed in God, but we weren't talking at the moment. Let's just put it that way. Hope use to be like how I am in that status. Yes, I called her Hope. My respectful ways did that, and if she wanted to be called Hope, so be it. It's her name.

Besides, her religion was helping her forgive the past, and get over it. That's good enough explanation for me. "So," I said, "You wouldn't believe what my mom said about the illness." And I told of the 'half-vampire' nonsense.

"Bite me," L.C. ordered. Everybody laughed, but L.C. looked straight at me. "Bite me," She ordered, "Now. I don't care, just draw blood. I'll drink your fucking blood, half-vampire or not. BITE ME!" We all stared at her as if she'd gone insane. But I saw the twitch in her lips. She was good at acting, but L.C. was planning on being a nurse. "Just kidding," L.C. stated, and we all laughed.

"What's up with R.L.," G.L. suddenly asked. I shrugged, but G.L. looked as if he was coming up with something. "Let's go to her house. See why she doesn't care to come to your welcome home from near death party," he suggested.

That's how we appeared that night in the backyard of the rich Kinder's house. I reached her window first, still happy that H.L... I meant Hope decided to come along on our quest. "As long as we're not breaking the law," Hope had said with reluctance.

"Just trespassing," G.L. had stated, followed by L.C.'s giggles.

I tapped on the window after seeing it locked. L.C., G.L., and Hope hovered behind me, their faces just in view. After some jokes on L.C.'s part, and laughing on G.L.'s and Hope's part, I shushed them. Then I tapped on the glass some more. There was silent anticipation within the pack. Waiting for the last member to show up for a rogue night.

The blinds were pulled sharply, and R.L. opened the window with angry eyes. She blocked the entrance, and that told us that she wasn't allowing us in. "Yo, R.L., PMS much," L.C. cracked, but a look in R.L.'s part shut her up. I was looking at her in silence, trying to figure out what went on around here.

"What do you want," R.L. snapped impatiently. I glanced at the three behind me, and the nodded.

"I just got back from the hospital," I started, "And I was thinking the pack could go on a rave. But then again, the pack is boring without you--" I had to shush L.C. at the boring pack part. "--so we're hoping you'd come along, R.L. You busy?"

R.L. suddenly looked flustered, and her chest rose like an angry hen. "Yes," She said in a deep, cold voice that sent a chill to my heart, "I'm busy having a life. Unlike the rest of you." I opened my mouth, eye burrowed in confusion.

"What's your problem," I asked furiously. Finally, the moment of truth.

"YOU are my PROBLEM," R.L. screeched, "Always forcing me to do things I don't want to do. It's your fault I've tried to kill myself! You think you're so cool just because you're some badass, but you're just some pot-headed moron! But I'm not standing this anymore, Sprice! I'm not letting you get in the way of my happiness."

The whole pack was staring at her with wide eyes. I was beyond furious. I could feel the blood behind my ears. How dare she blame all of her problems on me? I'm the one who has been there for her when the problems drove her to ME. Not me driving her to the problems! "Getting in the way of your ha...," I started, "What are you talking about?!" But I was sick of this. "Know what, do what you want," I said dully, meaning every word of it because I actually cared for R.L., "Be happy."

"LEAVE ME ALONE," R.L. roared, "DON'T TALK TO ME! DON'T EVER COME NEAR ME AGAIN! I HATE YOU!" And she slammed the window shut. At the moment of the slam, it was as if a hammer had hit my heart. As if the world had stopped, and I hadn't even seen it coming. I stared at the window that the blinds were blocking me from looking within.

"Let's egg it," L.C. suddenly snarled.

"Let's bust the windows," H.L. surprisingly snapped.

"Let's burn it all down to Hell, her included," G.L. sneered furiously.

"Let's... go," I said slowly. They all looked at me with surprised. I pointed in one direction, but started walking the next. "Let's go," I suggested as if in a daze. I could hear myself talking to R.L. all those times she was depressed and near tears.

'Promise you won't leave me...' I could hear myself tell her. And now all I wanted to do is go jump off a cliff. There's nothing holding me back now. I could hear myself telling R.L. 'I thought about how I'd never leave you alone in this world...' That was the only thing that kept me from just throwing me over. Now I had insane parents, and now I've been accused of being a half-vampire. Now I've been confirmed of being the problem.

Hope grabbed ahold of my shoulder. "You're going to wrong way, Spricey," she said sympathetically, "I think it'll be better if you just go home."

I shrugged, "You all go home, now." They all looked at me unsurely. "It was just some stupid friendship. Oh, what a loss. Go home," I snapped, "It's not like I'm not going home as well." Home to the afterlife where I began. Every time I heard her say 'I hate you' in my head, it was as if my breath would get caught. All this caring for one friend, and they just throw it away. I should've known she never cared.

Luckily, the pack went home, but I was circling around the woods down the road of my house. I was heading to the top of the waterfalls that lead into Lake Miramax. And when I got to it, I could hear the water shower. It sounded like wind would, but more louder. Like static, and that's what calmed me. Because a person couldn't be heard in the static.

I walked to the edge of the waterfall, the stream up to my knees. The water was pushing against the back of my legs, as if it wanted me to jump. Assuring me that it would carry me all the way down. What a peaceful way to die. With water assuring you that you'd die. The coolness of it wasn't even noticeable for some odd reason. Maybe because of my lack of blood.

I peered down to the lake. It looked so small, that it was as if I could move to the left a bit and land on... land. The wind was blowing from behind me, also egging me on to jump. Maybe I won't jump. I'll just slip and fall. I slid my foot halfway off the waterfall, and the water was slowly pushing it the rest of the way off. Soon, I'll be over with. All the people's problems will go down with me.

"Hey," A familiar voice yelled, but I winced inwardly. I could feel the tears start to come out, and that infuriated me. "You... the one with the rhyming stories, right," the voice continued to yell, "Sprice." I hesitated, and looked back to see Ryen from the cave in the waterfall. "What are you doing," Ryen asked, slightly alarmed, but calm.

"Trying to fly," I replied sharply, "What do you think I'm doing?" I rolled my eyes, and looked back down towards the lake.

"Come on, now," Ryen said, "Don't do that. Nothing can't be that bad."

I scoffed, "I'm so much of a burden that not even my father could deal with me a day after I was born. My best friend even confirmed it! I'm driving her and almost everyone else in the pack to suicide."

Ryen laughed, "I think the pack... you say... is driving you to suicide. Literally." Oh, we have a comedian. "Come on, get away from there. Come with me for a bit. I think I have something in mind to cheer you up." I peered back at him suspiciously.

"What is it?"

"You'll find out if you--"

"What is it?"

"Get away from ther--"

"Tell me what--"

"I won't until--"

"You're so annoy--"

"I'm not the one--"

"Fine," I snapped, "Fine, I'll go with you, but if you don't cheer me up, you'll be the one to push me off this waterfall whether you want to or not." There was a sudden guilty look in Ryen's eyes, but it disappeared quickly. I walked out of the stream, and appeared in front of Ryen.

What an odd, terrible week I've been having. My friend leaves me. I end up in a hospital for blood problems. After, of course, major pains. I had to help a kid from getting the crap beat out of him. Then I try to kill myself, and suddenly Mr. Waterfall Cave appears to save my day.

"So," I said slowly, "Where to, Gov'na?"


	11. Chapter 10

Part Ten:

Ryen held out his hand, and I reached up to grab it. I didn't exactly need his help, but whatever. With amazing strength, Ryen pulled me over the fence. The fence traced the perimeter of the rooftop. The roof on a fourteen story building. I had no idea why Ryen was taking me to the roof of this building, but before I could look around, he covered my eyes with his hands.

Normally, a person would feel mighty uncomfortable at a stranger leading them around. Though, I'm the kind of person who was always around strangers. Besides, there was something about Ryen that allowed me to trust him. At least, enough for him to lead me around blind, but not enough for me to be relaxed during the time. I could feel the adrenaline in my veins, preparing me to sprint any second.

Suddenly, Ryen lifted his hands, and the dark view appeared. I could see plainly into the darkness, though, so the absence of light didn't bug me. What did confuse me was the golf course. Who put a golfing area on the rooftop of a fourteen story building? Rich companies, of course, but... okay.

"And...," I said slowly, "to cheer me up, you take me golfing." Ryen chuckled, but went to the storage area. It must have been unlocked because, not long later, he came back with a bag of golf balls and another bag of golf clubs.

"You know how to hit the golf ball, right," Ryen asked, not really caring otherwise. He went to the starting point of the golf course point, and placed a golf ball on the pick.

"Yeah," I replied skeptically. It isn't hard, you know. Ryen grabbed a club, and took a moment before hitting the ball enough for it to land directly into the first hole. So we have a golf playing recluse. Who would've thunk it?

"Your mom won't be mad that you're out this late, would she," Ryen asked shortly, "Especially seeing as you just got out of the hospital." How'd he know that? Hmm.

"Probably," I said, but shrugged as I steadied the club behind the golf ball, "Does it look like I care?" And I swung the club. My golf ball flew over the fence, and disappeared due to gravity. I heard that on the Empire State Building, if you drop a penny from the top, its momentum would gain so much that it could kill a citizen walking below. Gee, I do hope nobody gets hit by that ball.

I looked at Ryen with raised eyebrows. "That a foul," I asked, thinking of baseball, "Or a home-run?" I loved sports, actually, but at this moment, I had been aiming at the window in the tall building next to this one. I'll have to try harder next time.

"What were you trying to kill yourself for," Ryen asked as he prepared to hit the next golf ball.

I scoffed. "I wasn't going to kill myself," I lied, "Just thinking about it." Ryen hit the ball, once again getting it into the hole at first try.

"But why," he asked, looking directly at me. He handed me the club, but I switched it. I figured a nice driver could get a ball to a window.

"I had a best friend," I said slowly, not sure if I wanted to tell, "who I cared for like a close sister. Now I don't." I slammed the golf ball over the fence, but it started towards the ground just before it hit the window. I did hear a car alarm go off, and that satisfied me slightly.

"What happened," Ryen asked. So nosy, he is. Wow, I sounded like Yoda for a second there... and I hate Star Wars. "You might want to aim for the hole, by the way," Ryen suggested, "This is therapy to teach you to keep yourself in control." I was in control... hitting objects over that fence.

"I'll try next time," I responded to his request, "And I don't know. She just stopped being the friend I knew." Ryen peered at me carefully. Then he swung his club back, and with a whistle in the air, the golf ball flew across the gap between the buildings. There was a loud shatter as it collided with the window I had been previously aiming for.

I laughed loudly, clapping my hand over my mouth. Then, I grabbed a club, and flung it forward with effort. Amazingly, it hit the window below the shattered one. Amazingly, an alarm went off.

"Well, time to go," Ryen said shortly, running past me. He had to double back and snatch my arm, for I had just been staring with a pleasant feeling at the broken glass. Ryen pulled me through the doors that lead within the building.

Suddenly, we were walking past business people. There were doors and doors with metal plates that told a name. It didn't take long for me to realize this was a law firm. Instead of the elevators, we took fourteen flights of stairs to the first floor. Yet... both of us didn't even feel exhausted after reaching the ground floor.

Out on the streets, we saw two cop cars pull in front of the building in which had been vandalized. I never usually came into the North side of Reaper. It was like a mini version of New York, but maybe that was because I happened to be in this area at the time.

I was giggling as we walked past blocks of stores. Ryen stopped at one place, and it wasn't long before he came out with two icecream bars. "Want one," He asked, holding one in front of me.

"Nah," I neglected, raising my hand to block it.

"Aw, come on," He said, "Doesn't it smell so yummy? Can't you taste the nice icecream on your tongue? Chocolate sugary icecream. Mmmmm..." I snatched it from his hands so he'd shut up, but he only laughed.

"You've got any other friends," Ryen suddenly asked.

I paused. "What?"

"Friends," he repeated, "That one friend can't have been the only friend you had." I thought about the whole pack, and the others at school that were always trying to invite me to parties. I shrugged.

"It's only high school, you know," Ryen continued, "A lot of humans in high school do that. They want a change, and they don't care who they have to lose in the process. That's why you're not suppose to actually care about any humans... at least until high school ends."

I looked at Ryen in confusion. "Humans, huh," I said slowly, "And what are you? An alien. Want me to take you to my leader? Am I your new slave, dear alien master. You're not going to probe me, are you?" I snickered, and took a bite out of my icecream bar.

"I'm... you know what you are, right," Ryen asked me carefully.

"I'm a human chick," I stated certainly, "Who is eating an icecream bar that tastes awful for some reason. And I think I now have a blood disease because my blood is refusing to regenerate more of its own kind. But I do believe I'll be just fine." I smiled widely, and dumped the icecream bar at the next trash can I saw.

"And you're half vampire," Ryen suddenly added, shocking me. I paused, and glared at him.

"Have you been stalking me," I snapped suspiciously, "You said my mom as if I didn't have a dad, and you knew I was in the hospital. And now you know what my mom was telling me... you've got to be kidding, right?" Ryen was watching my reaction as if he was enjoying it, but seemed confused.

"But you know your dad is a vampire, right," Ryen asked. I could feel the fury rise within me. "I'm not trying to make you mad," Ryen said quickly, "I just thought you'd know that. Why would someone keep you in the dark about being half-vampire?"

"Sure," I snarled, "Whatever. What are you saying? That you're a vampire, too?" Ryen's look responded positive, and I rolled my eyes. "Look, I had a great time and all, but I seriously don't hang out with people who think they're vampires," I stated... and added with a mutter, "and they don't hang out with me, apparently."

"I don't think I'm a vampire," Ryen said testily, "I know I'm a vampire. And you're just about one. You had the thirst attack just before the hospital. I had to give you some of my blood, remember? I had to drop you off at the hospital... the first thirst usually is the worse, anyways." That kind of rhymed.

"Well, I've got to go, now," I stated in denial, "Nice to see you again, Mr. Waterfall Cave Guy a.k.a. Ryen. Thanks for saving my life--"

"A third time," Ryen remarked with a bitter mutter.

"Goodbye and good night," I said, walking off.

"Things will get worse with becoming one of us," Ryen said loudly to my back, "But I'll be at the cave when you realize you need someone. Someone who isn't human!" What's that suppose to mean? It's suppose to get worse? Wait... nothing would get worse seeing as I'm NOT a vampire. I didn't get bit, did I? And there's no proof that my dad was a vampire... seeing as he isn't even here.

And how does he know all this stuff?!

I started to go through my window, but thought over that. Mom would probably be waiting again. So, I figured I'd risk the noisy door. As long as I remember to turn the knob THEN shut it, I should be doing just fine.

I reached the front door, and opened it slowly. Luckily, it was unlocked... this meant that mom had been expecting me to be gone awhile. Though, she must be expecting me if she left it unlocked. As I stepped into the dark house, I could actually see clearly. Nobody was in sight. So I swung the door. I winced physically when it slammed against the edge of the threshold, and bounced back at me. Great, I forgot to turn the knob and shut it. Good job!

Mom appeared in front of me, just as suspected. "No," she said when I started to talk. Great, ANOTHER fight! This never ends, does it. "I don't think you should hang out with Ray-Lottie anymore. She's definitely getting you to do bad things." I scoffed.

"Fine, we're not friends, anyways," I snapped, and started towards my bedroom.

Mom hesitated, "Wait, what? Did I say the wrong name or something?" I shook my head.

"Nope, Ray-lottie is not my friend anymore," I stated, "Said so herself. Said she never cared about me, and wanted me to leave her alone." I felt the familiar cold as I remembered her glare and the rage in her words. She's just some stupid person. It isn't like I cared too much about her anyways.

There was silence for a moment. Then mom said, "Did you have any thirst problems, yet?" And then I was angry again.

"Look," I snarled, "I told you once, and I'll tell you again: I'm not a vampire!"

Suddenly, Mom started laughing. "You sound exactly like I did with Dav-," And she stopped shortly; almost painfully. This made me stop being so angry. "In fact, you act a lot like him, too, but more in the anger issue area," Mom said wistfully.

An opening at last. "Where is he," I asked, suddenly not wanting to go to my room. "Is he still alive, even? When's the last time you heard from him?" Mom hesitated, not sure whether she should tell or not.

"Nevermind," I snapped, "No, I don't care." That happens a lot. I'll feel curious, almost eager, then I remember that he left without me even remembering the sound of his voice. And I get mad. So mad at him for doing this to me. For being alive, but not alive. And not in that vampire sense, but almost as if he doesn't exist. Because it feels like he's just a figment of my imagination. Without a voice; without a face.

Then again, I'm afraid of knowing about him. As long as I hate him, I won't miss not knowing him. If I ever felt a sense of wondering, I start to feel depressed. So, whenever I want to know, I force myself to get mad. That way, I won't even want to know. Complicated, but true. How can a person have a kid... and then just leave it? Without even knowing it?

I stormed into my room without waiting for mom to reply.

Okay, that's the five for today. Thanks!


	12. Chapter 11

Hey, just so you don't get confused, I've already finished this sequel. That's why it took so long to post; because I was waiting until I finished it before I posted it. So, the reason why I can update so much is because... it's already finished. :P

Part Eleven:

Mylia climbed to the cave. She didn't even think about falling. There was nothing to fear. The only thing she felt was rage, and she was hoping she'd feel loads better once she reached that cave. Her almost bleached blonde hair fell down to her waist, and her angelic blue eyes peered in anticipation towards the cave behind the waterfall.

As her hand clamped the edge of the cave, a familiar hand snatched her wrist. Without a second of hesitation, the hand pulled her up the rest of the way. Mylia smiled at Ryen, but he only shook the water out of his hair. With a sniff, Mylia smelled that someone else had been in this cave besides Ryen.

"So," Mylia said slowly, "Did you find her, yet?" Mylia peered at Ryen expectantly.

Ryen sat down on the floor of the cave, kicking off his shoes. "Yes," he replied nonchalantly. Mylia waited for a moment, but Ryen didn't say anything else. This annoyed her greatly.

"Well," Mylia snapped, "Did you kill her or what, Ryen?" The rage was always going to plastered in her veins. Until they got revenge.

"Actually--- no, I didn't," Ryen stated shortly. Mylia flustered like a hen, but exhaled to calm herself down.

"So, you recently found her, but you're going to kill her soon," Mylia suggested. Ryen shook his head, and Mylia started to yell.

"She didn't even know she was half-vampire, My," Ryen explained, "There'd be no point into killing HER. Why not her mother?" But Ryen knew the answer to that, seeing as Mylia had explained that to him a billion times.

"No, we're killing the youngest Orome, and that happens to be Sprice," Mylia snarled, "And if you can't do it, then I shall." And before Ryen could say anything, Mylia jumped out of the cave. She twisted in the air, and landed on her feet on the rock below. Without a second thought, she disappeared.

I woke up the next day, actually feeling as if going to school would be okay for today. So, I got dressed, and prepared myself to go to school. I opened the door, and started towards the front door. But I paused in the hallway. At the end of the hallway was my mother's room. Completely gothic looking, actually. I always loved it, but I hadn't been in there for years.

There was a time in early years where, before going to school, I'd go in there. Then I'd jump on the bed, and mom would pretend she was asleep. Just as I felt like giving up, she would jump up, and tackle me onto the bed. It was always enough to make me feel like having a great day for school. I can't remember when I just stopped going in there every morning.

I had this feeling in my gut that told me to go say good morning. Then again, I'm older now, so I continued my way out the front door. As I walked through the school steps, it seemed as if loads more people were waving to me than usual. Almost as if the whole story of R.L... no, Ray-Lottie and I no longer friends were giving people hope. I figured it this way:

Everyone always tried to become my close friend because for some reason they felt that being my friend would be the best thing in their life. Seeing as Ray-Lottie was no longer my number one friend, they'd probably feel as if there was a space open. As if being my best friend was a job. Yeah, right.

An emo guy named Nathan appeared beside me, placing an arm around my shoulder. "Nate," I said slowly, "You're touching me, again." And I smiled brightly, but only for a second.

"Right," Nate said, dropping his arm, "You wanna go to my house after school, today? You know, cool off from this stupid pep rally we're having today?" Right, Nate must be the boyfriend I couldn't remember having or not. Usually, I'd agree to this automatically, but I paused. For some reason, Ryen's face appeared in the back of my mind.

"Nope," I denied carefully, "Sorry, but I've met someone else." Nate made a face.

"Slut," He muttered. I grabbed his arm, and swung my fist back to hit him square in the nose. Just before my arm could fly forward, someone wrapped both of their arms around my arm and dragged me away. 

"FUCK YOU," I yelled instead, "Go to h-hell, Nathan Jacob Jones Junior!" I have a habit of saying their full name when I get pissed off at them.

"Calm down, Sprice," Hope said, being the one dragging me along, "There was a teacher just waiting for you to throw him a punch. You need to take some sort of Anger Management class."

I snorted. "What, and come up with a hero to think about before I get mad at someone. Come up with a saying to calm myself down. Count to ten and back. Then talk about why I would feel the need to punch ever loser who calls me a whore," I asked; been there, done that.

"Come home with me after the pep rally," Hope insisted with a smile, "I think you're just suffering from the betrayal of your closest friend. Besides, you know what getting too upset does to your voice." I suddenly realized something. And then I moaned, grabbing my head.

"There's another pep rally today," I asked in a tortured voice. I _loathe_ pep rally's. All the noise, and the gay people saying "stand up and cheer". Sometimes some gay teacher throwing necklaces and balloons at the preps. The only good thing about pep rally's is that you get out of classes, and you get to sit at the top with the others who hate pep rally's. Sometimes, I like to yell "Lose, Reapers" just when everyone pauses from a cheer. Ticks them off, you know?

"Aw, cheer up," Hope said, "And make your way over to the Junior's side so that we can sit together." See, even though I take Freshman classes, I can decide to sit with Sophomores anyways. Freshman being 9th grade, Sophomores being tenth, and Juniors being eleventh. To add to that, Seniors being 12th. Just in case you didn't know because when I first entered High School... all that difference confused me!

So, lunch went by, and just twenty minutes into fifth period, the Vice Principal repeated the same thing he always said for pep rally's. Where to go, and all that. As I walked towards the gym, I moved to the door that led to the Junior section. Nobody would notice, seeing as four grades all fitted into the gym. 1,276... remember? The gym is big.

I walked to the top of the stands, seeing a group selling dope to some junkie on the way. I think its funny to read the notes when you're dealing with a drug dealer. A friend, not in the pack, once showed me hers. And it said:

"You got some stuff?"-A

"Sho do"-D

"How much?"-A

"$20.00"-D

"What? I can't do that. How about $10.00?"-A

"K, $5.00"-D

"All right."-A

I suppose the dealer was on his stuff at the time. Seeing as I'm not exactly a pothead, I just get my stuff from friends at parties. No money in my part. I arrived next to Hope, and she was smiling at this dude. He was just an average guy, but I assumed this must be the Daniel she always was out with on her free time.

During the pep rally, I stared out at all the students within the Gym. Suddenly, Hope elbowed me. "Isn't that Ray-Lottie," Hope asked, pointing towards the edge of the Gym. Of course Ray-Lottie would be here. Everybody goes here, unless you're like me and do the occasional skip way. My sight followed anyways, and it led to the line of cheerleaders who were cheering at the Sophomores.

Suddenly, I spotted Ray-Lottie with her pom-poms. She did a split, smiling oh-so brightly. I clutched my fist in rage. She seriously wants to not only be no longer my friend, but my enemy at the same time. Backstabber. I muttered under my breath, "As she backstabs our life away, I can still hear her say, 'Forever and ever we'll be friends... at least until High School ends'." Hm, maybe I am a poet. Just a bitter one. Not a real one. Poets write, I just say.

"Wow, that's good," Hope stated, hearing the mutter, "You should write those down, you know." I turned to Hope.

"You know how you changed," I asked. Hope paused, the subject change confusing her. "You quit being so depressed, and you changed for the better."

"Oh," Hope said slowly, "well, yeah."

"I want to change, too." And I left it at that, looking out towards Ray-Lottie.

When the pep rally was ending, the Vice Principal announced that we could go home early. They always did this when the pep rally went on forever. Hope grabbed my wrist, and took me towards the door. As I was reaching it, I felt like someone was watching me, and I turned to look at Ray-Lottie. She stopped smiling, and looked away.

When Hope got us out of the crowd, she turned to look at me. "What do you mean by change?"

I hesitated, "I don't want to feel so... like I do anymore. I want to be at... at peace or something. Like you are." How hard is this to understand? I don't want to feel like punching people all the time. I don't want to feel the need to steal things, and break the law for fun. Or smoking weed/drinking alcohol just to feel happy. I don't want to feel like killing myself.

Hope thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, you come home with me," Hope said slowly, "And we'll need to hang out more. Tonight we're going to church, all right?"

I automatically started to deny. "I don't know about church--" But Hope interrupted, "Look, you're going with me whether you want to or not. You said the magic words, and after that, it's just Satan trying to change your mind." And Hope laughed hysterically at these last words. I frowned.

"I'm not going to church," I declared firmly. It was that voice of deep seriousness that Mom said I got from the man-who-ditched-us. So dark is the voice that it actually can send chills through me. And apparently, it got to Hope.

"All right," Hope gave in, "Whenever you feel ready to, just tell me." I shrugged. I never went to church except when I was a child. Mom use to take me there as if she was afraid of the Devil getting ahold of me. The thing is, mom isn't religious. She never prayed there. She just got close to the preacher, and we'd have a drop of Holy Water on our foreheads to wish us well. I remember the preacher was so found of us, that he gave me a cross necklace. This made mom so happy, though.

I don't wear it anymore. The only jewelry I wear is in my ears, tongue, and belly. Sometimes I wear a necklace that Ray-Lottie gave me... and I always wear my this gold band ring. There were traces of real diamond on it, but the ring was too big for my fingers. So I had put tape on it to fit my thumb. I don't remember where I got it, but mom had tried to take it from me a couple of times. It never worked.

When we arrived at Hope's house, I automatically went towards the backyard. Out of all of the pack, Hope was the only one with a hammock. I loved those things. As I slung myself on it, Hope walked patiently to follow me.

"First thing," Hope said slowly, "Stop with the initials." I peered at her.

"It's a pack thing," I stated.

"Well, stop with the pack thing," Hope ordered, "It's annoying and confusing. Try to explain to the others that there'll be no more pack names, as well." I laughed.

"Ah, what makes you think they'll stop on my account," I asked.

"You came up with it. Besides, you're the Leader of The Pack. You may want to stop hanging out with them as much, too."

"What," I asked, now annoyed, "I'm not going to--"

Hope sat on the hammock with me. "Look," She interrupted, "Your mom use to always talk about Ray-Lottie being the problem, when it was really the pack. Your leader status has you wanting to follow the gang into bad actions. The thing is, they egg you on. So, you need to break up the pack. All of you can be friends, but be normal friends."

I made a face. "Normal is evil," I muttered bitterly.

"Well, evil you shall be," Hope stated, "Stop doing drugs."

"No problem," I groaned.

"No more drinking unless it's a major holiday," Hope ordered, "And always have a driver."

"Can be you," I replied.

Hope pulled out her cell phone. "Call them to break the news," She said, handing me the cell-phone. I looked at it for a moment, and then grabbed it. I dialed L.C...I mean, Candace Brooke's number.

"L.T.P.," Candace answered automatically, "Where'd you go? We was--"

I interrupted, "About that. I'm not L.T.P., I'm Sprice. There's no 'we'. There's no more pack. But I'm with Hope, and I'll talk to you later." And I hung up on a lighter note. Just in case she was thinking I was pulling off a Ray-Lottie scene. I dialed G.L.'s... Jason Tristle's number, and it was almost an exact conversation. Without knowing it, I dialed Ray-Lottie's number.

"Hello," Ray-Lottie asked.

"Hey, I'm not L.T.P. anymore. Just Sprice. There's no pack--," I started.

"What. Are. You. Doing?," Ray-Lottie snarled evilly. I paused.

"My, my, if it isn't the bitch witch," I said, realizing I had accidently dialed her number, "Why are you talking to me? Go away." And I hung up. I smiled at Hope's confused face. "Wrong number. Anything else?" Hope nodded, grabbing my arm. She started to lead me into her house. When she reached her backpack, she pulled out a notebook and a pen.

She went to the table, opening the notebook to a fresh page. Then she held out the pen towards me. "Write down a poem, Missy," Hope ordered, smirking. I hesitated, but grabbed the pen. As I started to lower it to the paper, it seemed to take forever. I stopped just before it touched the paper. There wasn't a sound.

For a moment, nothing happened. "Well," Hope said, "Go on. Write down something you already said." But a chill started down my back. I felt fear creep through me, and the feeling seemed to forebode that something bad was going to happen if I wrote anything. I dropped the pen.

"I can't," I stated, "I can't write." Well, I can, but I won't. Hope peered at me, still confused.

"Well, I guess we'll get to that later," Hope stated slowly, "Until then, you hungry?" We made ourselves sandwiches, and went into Hope's room to watch television. Seeing as her billion siblings were taking up the television in the living room. A couple of Hope's sister's came to watch the movies with us, and Hope's older brother, James, continued to tug on my hair and poke my back. I think he's one of those boys I never thought to get with, even though he paid more attention to me than the rest.

Still, I always had a soft spot for James, but I never let that show. He was one guy who I didn't want to end up hurting, and being friends was better than that. So I just continued to smack at him, and watch the movie. Occasionally begging Hope to tell James to bug off. At one point, when it had gotten dark outside, James started to leave. He accidently slammed his hand against the corner of the desk in the room, and yelled out in surprise.

The only thing that caught my attention was a wonderful smell in the air. A smell I hadn't ever paid attention to before. I sniffed, and turned to see the back of James' hand had been busted open. As the blood smeared, I knew that that smell was the blood. I shot up. "I'm leaving, Hope," I told her, "Nice hanging with you." And I left before she could say goodbye.

That was close.


	13. Chapter 12

Part Twelve:

Seeing as this was earlier than ever, I didn't try to sneak into the house. There was no reason, actually. In fact, when I walked through the door, Mom looked at me in surprise. "Holy Pineapple, look who stepped into Hell," she stated, no longer paying attention to the television.

"Holy Pineapple," I said, "Seriously, who says that?"

"Obviously I do," Mom said bitterly, "What are you doing, anyways?"

"Walking into my home," I replied shortly. Then I hesitated. "You don't think I'm really a vampire, do you? I mean, what if I'm just sick? Like... mentally or something?"

Mom was paying full attention to me, now. "Did you bite someone?" I shook my head. "Were you with that girl... um... Lucky or something?" I shook my head again. "Where were you?"

"I was with Hope," I stated slowly, "She wants me to go back to church with her. And there's no more pack." I wanted to see how mom reacted to this news. She just looked confused. "I can't go back to church." I waited some more. She just looked confused. Suddenly, I felt like crying. I had never felt that way in forever, but the thoughts in my head caused me to want to bawl it out.

"Because if I'm a freak, the church won't accept me," I said furiously, tears starting to appear. And I stormed towards my bedroom. Before I reached my door, mom appeared behind me. She grabbed my hand, and started to pull me towards her room. No, no, no. I don't want to cry in front of nobody!

When the door opened to her room, the familiar safe feeling appeared within me. It was like stepping into your past. Nothing seemed to change from the last time I was in here. Mom pulled me over to the bed, and when we were both seated, she wrapped her arms around my stomach. She laid her head on my back, just below my neck so that I bent forward slightly.

Instead of laughing, like I had everytime she did this, I just bit my lip so that I wouldn't make a noise as the tears slipped down my cheek. I didn't know that the reason why mom would do this was so that she could hear the air entering and leaving my lungs. And my heart beating. All this telling her that I was normal.

"We're all freaks in this family," Mom suddenly muttered, "But I don't know anything about half-vampires. I don't know if you could stand Holy Water or the cross. I don't know if the sun will bother you. I just don't know." I didn't reply at first.

After finally calming down from the panic I was in, I said, "If this helps, I can handle the sun. Even though it bugs me a bit, it doesn't hurt too much." Mom didn't answer. "I could smell blood today. That's why I came home so early."

"Daviel said something about you being normal until reaching a certain age," Mom stated, "But he didn't tell me much." I hesitated.

"When was that," I asked curiously.

Before I could change my mind, Mom said, "When you stopped going to church and started to get angry. You said something about the Holy Water getting too hot, and the cross being too heavy on your chest. So I got ahold of him, and he said you were too young to be changed, but that you would in your teenage years." I felt the rage start to grow in my lungs. Or was that the scream I was wanting to roar out.

"Was that--," I paused, changing my mind, "I don't care." I grabbed mom's wrists, getting a glimpse of the 'vampire bite' she had on her wrist, and pried her off of me. "I'm going to sleep." And I went into my room to go to sleep.

Sometime in my sleep, mom opened the door. She looked at me for a bit, and sighed. "I guess it's time," she told herself before shutting the door. I didn't hear her words, and when I fell back into sleep, the moment was forgotten.

The whole week practically flew by. Each day, I went over to Hope's house, and she somehow gave me something to do. It was as if I didn't need anybody else to be entertained. When we didn't have anything exactly to do, we went to the hammock and talked. I told her about the Ryen guy, but not about being half-vampire. Which I haven't completely accepted, but yeah.

Everytime I got overly thirsty, Mom would take me to the hospital, and they'd find my blood count low. But that was only twice this week. As far as I know, no fangs so far. So I figured I was safe in that area. Meanwhile, the doctors tried to convince mom to give me medicine, but she said she was going to get help somewhere else. No, she's just betting on the vampire thing.

Ray-Lottie hung out with the preps. She's found her place. I started hanging out outside. Where there was loads of darker people who didn't like being locked up in a building so long. Sometimes, Candace would wander outside to see what I was doing. Jason and I only talked continuously when we had to walk to the same class with each other. He decided to hang out with the group of emo, anime lovers. You know, the type who watched television non-stop, listened to his music, and were always on the computer.

The pack, I must say, has been completely severed, but we all are still friends. Well, minus Ray-Lottie.

I was convinced to go back to Anger Management, which I don't think I need. I mean, I never get angry. Whoever thinks that can go to Hell and eat their fu... I mean, whoever thinks that is wrong. Anyways, instead of ignoring every word the "therapist" says, I actually pay attention to the steps. Except for writing in my journal. I don't write, right? It's true, and everytime I start to, I freak out.

Mom got me this laptop, though. So instead of writing down things, I can just type it. Plus, the teachers are just shocked that I'm paying attention at last. Then when I passed my Algebra test, seeing as the teacher just sent the test from her computer to my laptop, my teacher actually gave me a hug. I had to take a deep breath, and think happy thoughts just so that I wouldn't bust the laptop over her head.

Anywho, that wasn't as funny as when I passed my vocabulary quiz in English class. She gave me a Shakespeare pen. Of course, it broke. Not my fault. It just did... once I dropped it and stomped on it. I don't think I like the attention too much, but Hope just tells me to think about leaving this town. That education was the best bet to go on. Where do I want to go, though?

I was walking the long way home today, and I wasn't heading towards Hope's house. She'd just try to get me off to church, seeing as it had been awhile since the last time she tried. But I was fine with her trying, she didn't say too much. Usually, I liked helping with the volunteer work. Except that one time when I was trying to sell raffle tickets, and this person knocked over my stand. Hope should be lucky she can convince me from kicking somebody's ass.

The darkness was turning out, and I knew I could be home anytime if I wanted. I paused at the church, though, which was amazingly locked. Whatever happened to sanctuary? I walked up to the window, peering inside. I wouldn't break in like I did last time. Instead, I went to the cross that was nailed to the door. For a second, I didn't dare touch it. Then I reached up to place my hand on it flat. There was an odd feeling of warmth on my palm.

After a moment, I pulled back my hand to see the skin a deep color of red. Not exactly painful, but just irritated. How odd. Anyways, I stepped off the church steps, and started through the trees to lead straight to my house.

Mom's car wasn't in the driveway and the house was overall dark.

I opened the door quietly, for no reason, and remembered not to fling it back like my habit is. Without looking, I went straight to my bedroom. I grabbed the cross necklace that the preacher had given me, looking at it for a moment. Then I put it around my neck. Like expected, the skin that the cross laid on started to itch, but I ignored it. I switched out my earring to cross earrings. I even had a tongue and belly button ring that were crosses. The more, the better. As long as I've got Jesus, I won't turn evil. Hopefully.

As I switched out my belly ring, I heard a scrape that sounded as if someone almost knocked something on the ground. I finished my belly ring, and yelled out, "Mom, I'm staying home tonight. I was thinking maybe we could rent a movie or something. Are you busy?" And I waited for a reply. It was Hope's idea, actually. She said that I might feel the need to feel complete change by becoming close to my mom again.

There was complete silence. I started to open my door, but paused. Instead, I pressed my ear against the wood and waited. "Mom," I called, but not so persistent as before. After a moment, I said, "Or not. Whatever." And I moved the jewelry on my desk that was next to the door. To make it seem as if I had continued on my happy way. Suddenly, I heard a scuffle of a foot barely moving across the floor. I was suspicious... and I was pissed.

This wouldn't be mom. She'd jump at a chance to get close with me. No, this was either a prank, a friend, or a trespasser. Possibly a robber or something. I quickly unplugged my lamp, causing my room to go into darkness. Then, with extreme care, I opened my bedroom door. I started down the hall, sensing the person in the living room. When the wall ended to lead into the living room, I paused.

"Just go in there, and confront her," a deep voice hissed. Possibly to himself. I peered around the wall to see it was a grown man. He had pitch black hair, and he was wearing all black. Clothing fit for a robber. I tightened my grip on the lamp, not even breathing. It was as if I wasn't even there. For a moment, it felt like my heart wasn't even beating.

With a last insistence mentally in my part, I jumped out from the wall and slammed the lamp against the back of the intruder's head. Amazingly, it shattered. Amazingly, the intruder just stood there for a moment. Then he turned to look at me, almost angrily. No, no... definitely angry. Which in turn got me angry.

"What the FUCK are you doing in my house," I declared furiously. He moved forward, his eyes coming into clear view. Black... and it looked kinda mixed with red. Almost exactly like my eyes, except the look he had was like he was telling himself not to get angry.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he stated, annoyed.

"Ha," I said, "Like I'm afraid of that? You-" I grabbed an umbrella from the stand. "-should be-" I tightened my grip. "-afraid of me." And I swung to the umbrella to hit him. Without effort, he snatched the umbrella, and pulled it out of my hands. Totally not right.

"MOM," I yelled, but didn't look away from this intruder. Instead, I backed up carefully, "I'm calling the cops on you... even if I loathe them... and you're going to go to prison for _breaking_ and _entering_. M-MOM!" As I stepped back, the intruder stepped towards me.

"Iveria's not coming back for a bit," he stated, "She's giving us free time together... assuming you're Sprice, right?" I continued to glare at him. Just like mom to leave me with an insane therapist.

"And who is asking," I asked, stopping because I could sense the wall just behind me. I clutched my fists tightly, preparing to fight in whatever way possible.

"I'm Daviel," he said simply, a smirk playing on his lips, "Or, in another words, Daddy... assuming you're my daughter." At first, I felt odd. I mean, how would you respond to a parent high-tailing into your house to finally claim their position. Apparently, this idiot was expecting to take control right off. As if I should respect some coward who can't commit to responsibility.

"I. Don't. Have. A. Father," I snarled, feeling the rage of this daring idiot flow through me. Mom must have called him. Told him she couldn't handle me anymore. Just when I was making changes, too. Man, tell me I'm going to live with you. I dare you to. Ask me, seriously. Let's see how pissed you can get me, daddy dearest. In case this isn't noted, I never say mommy or daddy... unless I'm bitter towards them. I never add dearest... unless I'm furious towards them.

"Look," Daviel.. yes, I'll call him Daviel, seeing as he doesn't deserve high honor... snapped, "I'm not doing this 'oh, you left me so I hate you' shit. I don't care if you hate me, but you're going to listen to me. Because you, Sprice, are my daughter. And you, Sprice Orome, are half-vampire. I can't have you running around like a maniac, biting people on the whim."

Oh, I had no idea he would seriously piss me off soooo badly. I punched him furiously in the face, and then added another couple to his stomach. When he grabbed my wrists to slam them against the wall, I continued by kicking his knee, adding all the rage I could into it. "You stupid, immature, irresponsible...," I muttered, adding obscenities with my insults.

"Bleeding Christ," Daviel groaned, "SHUT UP! You're worse than your mother!" With that, I slammed my head against his, and he actually let go. I give this one out to Hope, who taught me that bloody painful move as she slammed her head into mine not too long ago. I grabbed the first thing I could, and busted it over his head. I grabbed another lamp, some picture frames, the top of the table, a chair, some plates, cups, and even threw some silverware at him until I felt the need to run.

So, I kicked him in the head, and bust through the living room window. I didn't even care if I had just probably killed my own father. He deserved it. As I stomped towards Candace's house (yes, Candace and not Hope), I could feel some blood dripping from my forehead. I looked at my hand, and started ripping out the glass that had been dug into it when I beat the crap out of Daviel. Then, I nearly passed out when the wounds healed just in front of me.

I burst into Candace's bedroom, not caring that she had been making out with her boyfriend. "L... Sprice," Candace said in surprise, jumping up.

"Let's get crashed," I stated, feeling already partly there. I'm insane, why not make it worse. Candace smiled brightly, looking towards her boyfriend. He lifted a bag, and it looked more like cocaine than weed. All the better to get insane with, said the big bad wolf.


	14. Chapter 13

Part Thirteen:

I guess my change in stopping my doing drugs seemed harder to do than I thought. Though Cocaine wasn't actually my thing, I wasn't afraid to try it. Candace, her man, and I sat around a table, taking turns. It's odd, the feeling you get while doing this. Like, you know it's wrong, so this adrenaline rush seems to be electrifying your blood. Then, the room seems to be frozen in time, and even a little glossy.

Then, once the drugs start up, time started to fly by. I couldn't remember most of the things that happened, seeing as it felt as if I wasn't even there. I couldn't remember what had happened before I allowed myself to do this. I could only remember the constant chatter of voices in my head. None of them made sense, and they all seemed jumbled together, but the words were there.

I think they call it your conscience. I can't remember.

It seemed that a heavy daze came upon me, and then there was light being shined on my face. This normally wouldn't bug me, but now I could feel the irritation of a fast-coming sunburn. Besides that, I was practically being blinded, and this caused me to open my eyes.

It took me a moment to remember where I was. Once I did, I sat up sharply to see whether everybody was still in tact. Candace was laying on her stomach on the bed, her face to the wall so that I couldn't see it. Her left arm was twisted beside her, her elbow pressed against the mattress. Candace's man was laying on the ground, on his back. His head was halfway under the bed, and his pants were off only on one leg. His right hand was covering his neck, but I could see he was holding what looked like a red cloth.

I was laying on top of the table on which the cocaine was suppose to be. My shoes were long gone, along with one sock... and a couple of bracelets had been broken. I looked at the television to see that the screen had been cracked. Well, that's just perfect. I felt drained, actually, but all the better.

I stood up, stretching my arms high above my head. I yawned, and then clamped my jaws shut, causing me to yelp. I had just bit my lip horribly. I clamped my hand to my mouth, tasting the blood, and then I felt them. The teeth... the fangs... it can't... it's got to be my imagination. But they were there, sharp enough to prick my finger easily.

I closed my eyes, and willed the fangs away. Willed and willed and willed. After a moment, I felt again to find that they had indeed gone back to normal. Close one. Just as I thought I was all right, I could smell a most wonderful smell. It took me a second to locate it, and my gaze fell on Candace's boyfriend, lying on the ground asleep. I felt a turning of my stomach as I realized the familiarity of the smell to be the same with the smell of James' blood.

At first, I was going to run. I mean, I didn't want to hurt anybody. Then I realized that I could smell blood. I could smell it, so it must be outside the body. I bent down, starting to feel my heart beat quicker. I grabbed Candace's boyfriend's right hand, and pried it off of his neck. My breath stopped. The red cloth... it wasn't a red cloth... it was blood. Blood that came from two puncture wounds on his neck.

I pulled my hand away sharply, leaving some blood smear on my own hands. I didn't need to check to know that this man was dead. In my panic, I bent over to Candace, and shook her furiously.

"Candace," I hissed in panic, "He's dead! Wake up! Someone's--" I. "--killed your boyfriend. Wake uh-" I froze. From the mouth of Candace, a white foam looking substance had started to form. Candace had her eyes closed painfully, and she looked as if she was choking. I screamed. "C-CANDACE!"

I ran out from the basement, running to the nearest phone to call the police.

I had been sitting in the waiting room, far in the corner and out of sight, for hours on in. My panic had subsided, seeing as after the announcing of Angel's (Candace's boyfriend) death, I hadn't been blamed for it. I had told the police that I was unconscious the whole time, and they saw that my teeth hadn't been denatured to bite Angel.

Though, they were checking on saliva DNA... and this scared me for a moment. It came back to say that there wasn't any DNA in the saliva. That caused me to wonder if vampires had DNA. No blood type... why not no DNA?

So now I sat, waiting to see if Candace was going to die. The doctor had said that she had Over-dosed on Heroin injection, but not too long so that they could clean out her blood in time to save her. She'd be in the hospital for weeks, though, if she does survive. I just wanted to know that she was going to live. Even though they told me to go home, I stayed. There's no way I'm going home. Nobody even called my parents because I refused to tell my number or anything.

Woah, my parents. What an odd expression. I don't think I have ever really had 'my parents' in plural. But, hey, after that "daddy" fiasco, I prefer to consider him a bitch and move on. Besides that, I've learned that two results come out of drug use. O.D.'s... and accidently killing someone. Or purposely. I can't remember, but I had killed someone. Bitten him, bled him, and killed him. Then I helped my close friend kill herself... or almost kill herself.

Suddenly, the doctor walked into the waiting room, heading straight for me. I stood up sharply. "Is she dead," I asked. Yes, usually people ask if they're alive, but I go by my own tootsie rolls.

"She's going to live," the doctor stated gravely... it isn't as if it's bad news, you know. "We've manage to stable her enough, but she's now in a coma. Temporary or Permanent? We're not sure. Now you can go on home because she won't be up anytime soon." I hesitated.

"Can I see her," I asked and he shook his head, replying with, "Family only, I'm afraid." I realized that her parents would be here any minute. There's no way I'm getting in that mess.

"All right, tell me when she wakes up," I told the doctor.

"So you're going to give us a number," he asked with a smirk. I scoffed, and took off down the hall. I took the glass elevators down to the ground, loving the height of the floor. I spent some time in the gift shop, looking at all the get well presents for a bit. Then I started out the hospital door.

The sun was already setting, which meant I had been at the hospital all day. That's what friends are for. I stood on the sidewalk in front of the hospital for a moment. Suddenly, I heard a loud "Psst" from my left. I whirled my head around to glance at a blonde boy just before he disappeared beside the hospital. If I'm not mistaken, that would be Ryen.

I hesitated, and then pranced towards the direction I had saw him. When I made it around the hospital, I saw Ryen leaning against the wall patiently. I frowned. "How'd you know I was here," I asked suspiciously.

He smirked, "I stalk you." No doubt, most likely. "No, I heard about what happen with your friend. L.C. was it?" I moved my gaze to my feet.

"It _is_ Candace... formally known as L.C... yes," I stated, emphasize on the 'is'.

"So, she's still alive, then?"

"Alive, but in a coma. They got ahold of her before the heroin killed her. Pretty lucky, actually." I didn't feel as if it was lucky. Lucky would be Candace not getting hurt at all, actually.

"What about the boy," Ryen asked curiously.

"Dead."

"Dead?"

"Dead."

Ryen paused, "Was he you're friend, then?" I shook my head. I didn't even know his name was Angel until they confirmed his death. Ryen seemed to be thinking deeply about something, his blue eyes troubled extremely. I waited, of course.

"Are you going home, then," He asked suddenly.

"Uh... no," I stated shortly, "Actually, I was thinking of probably leaving the country. Something of that sort. Home just doesn't seem so welcoming anymore." More like because there's an insane maniac who thinks he's a vampire... who is a vampire at the house... who happened to have been attacked by me... and probably won't be too happy to see me again.

"Why not," Ryen inquired, his smile shining as the darkness started to grow. So slowly that it seemed as if it was just dimming, not darkening.

"That's none of your little business, actually," I finally snapped. So nosy this boy is. How do I know he isn't a stalker? How do I know he isn't a murderer or something? Trust him? Yeah, right.

Ryen raised his hands in surrender, "Sorry, I'll just assume it was a major argument with your mom. Geez." He acts as if I got a gun pointed at him. Bang, your dead.

"I'm going to another friend's house," I finally said after a moment, "Most likely G... Jason's. At least to tell him how Candace is doing." I was lying. I was going to go to Hope's house. Jason was just an alternate that I used just in case this one WAS a stalker. He can go to Jason's house and disturb him. I don't care. Jason will probably think Ryen's hot anyways. Maybe that'd scare Ryen away.

"Then I'll see you later," Ryen suggested.

"Whatever." I started down the alley, heading towards Hope's place. The darkness was full, but I could see just fine. Better than last night, actually, but it was still slightly dark. At least I wasn't hungry. This thought brought a pang inside me. Maybe I wasn't hungry because I had drained Angel. Great job, Sprice. Just go around killing people, why don't you?

I arrived at the back door of Hope's trailer, and started to knock. Before I could, the door opened so swiftly that I almost fell back to the ground. Hope poked her head out desperately. "There's a man looking for you," Hope stated sharply; quickly, "I don't know if he's a stalker or a police, but he's in here right now asking for you. Apparently, your mom sent him after you."

"What's he look like," I hissed, glancing behind her, but there was nothing but a wall. The backdoor was located in the laundry room, actually.

"Black hair, black eyes... eyes like yours actually," Hope said curiously, "Quite tall, muscular, and a face like a perfectly made angel. He got my mom blabbing everything, the witch. Luckily she doesn't know anything, and James has got the other siblings scared to tell him anything." Definitely sounded like my "father", and how sweet of James.

"What's he doing?"

"Oh, he just told them that the man was actually Barney in disguise. You know how long ago James convinced them all that Barney was an evil dinosaur who went into houses to kill little children," Hope said with a giggle.

"Not James," I snapped, "What's the moron doing who is looking for me?"

"Just asking about you. Like, your favorite color, the last time we saw you, and all kinds of stupid stuff," Hope started, "I figured you'd be coming here if you ran away, and I figured if you ran away, you're in trouble." She glanced behind her quickly, searching sharply.

"Then I'm going," I stated quickly, "I just went to Candace's house, and she's in the hospital. Her boyfriend was killed." (By me, no doubt.) At the shock look on Hope's face, I said, "I'll tell you later." Hope nodded, and shut the door. I turned to leave, and nearly ran into a solid body.

"Why, hello," Daviel said with a huge, triumphant smile. I stepped back quickly, my heel landing on a wooden object. I didn't reach for it because Daviel was watching my every move. "Where did you go last night?" I clamped my mouth shut defiantly.

He started to step towards me, and I stomped my foot on the wooden object. This caused it to lift up just far enough so that I snatched it; a shovel. Oh, how perfect. "Come for another ass kicking, have you," I sneered, tightening my grip threatening on the shovel handle.

"Ivy's worried about you, you know," Daviel stated darkly.

"Yeah, right," I snapped, "So worried is she that she sent some irresponsible, invisible vampire man after me. Why don't you go get another girl pregnant, and ditch them? Of course, you've probably done it before, anyways. Must be a thing people who live forever do just to have fun. You know, ditch your own infants. I can see the joy in that."

Daviel looked extremely pissed; most likely the reflection of my own rage. He started towards me, and I raised the shovel. "Oh, I will pop you over the head like a weasel," I threatened darkly. Pop goes the weasel. Do do do dee.

"All you do is complain," Daviel snarled, "I get here for two seconds, and you're already nagging. You don't know anything, Sprice. NOTHING! So why don't you stop being a stupid kid and grow up."

I was seething in flaming fury. "Bitch," I snapped, for that was the only thing I could get out.

"I'm going to snap your stupid, little, itsy, bitty head off," Daviel growled.

"I'm going to break your fucking neck," I snarled, "Then I'm going to stab you in the gut, rip off your nails, stab those into your eyes, pull out your hair, and make you choke on all of them. But you won't... no, you won't. Your heads going to be twisted so far around that you won't even be able to swallow, so I'll rip a hole in your throat just so I can stuff your own intestines down them. And then I'll rip out all your bones and make myself a damn doll house to name 'Daviel's Hell' because THAT'S where I'm sending you, you retard!"

I dare say that I've just run out of air. I was just glad I hadn't stuttered at all. I had been twisting my hands around the handle of the shovel as if it were Daviel's neck. Suddenly, he started laughing. I had started to mutter continually under my breath, "Then I'll pull out your tongue and tie it in a bow for the door of the doll house and..." When I realized that Daviel was laughing.

"Shut up and go away," I snapped, "Or I'll bury you so far into the ground that the core of the earth with disintegrate you." And I threw my shovel at him before stomping down the road, leaving the moron to his internal joy. He had laughed harder at my last threat, and I did NOT see what was so funny. Stupid idiot. Mom never told me she fell in love with a slug. I smirked.


	15. Chapter 14

Part Fourteen:

"You can watch t.v. as long as you want... just don't eat all the food," G... Jason said with a sly smirk, "You sure you'll be all right on the couch?" I stretched, laying my head on the couch pillow comfortably. Jason was allowing me to stay the night at his house for tonight. I preferred to stay away from home for awhile.

"Oh, I'll be just perfect," I stated gratefully, "But I won't stay for too long. In fact, tomorrow I'll head over to Hope's house." Even though the house was already crowded there, Hope would be welcoming. She liked the feeling of supposably saving me.

"It's ok if you stay longer," Jason insisted seriously, "Just as long as you don't hit on me, and if you invite guys, make sure they're hot." Jason smiled jokingly at the last suggestion.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," I told him, smiling in return. He started off towards his room, and I clicked on the television to see what was on. Jason had loads of channels. Mom never usually gets too many channels. She isn't a movie person; completely opposite from my interests. So I was warm with comfort at all the movies I could pick to watch.

I picked 'Angel', starring David Boreanaz as a vampire with a soul. No matter how bitter I am towards vampire crap, I knew each of these episodes by heart. Besides that, I figure the cute expressions David made were absolutely adorable. Plus, the series has a good plot. I never got to watch the last episode, and that always killed me... no matter how old this series was. I mean, this was from 2000 for crying out loud. The special effects were so fake, but lovely none-the-less.

Before I realized anything, I was asleep. In my dream, I was running up a flight of stairs. They weren't circular, but square. I could sense something at the top of the stairs, but the steps would take forever. The more flights of stairs I ran up, the heat deepened, and the pain in my stomach grew. At some point, I heard an odd sound... almost strangled, and I froze. Then I looked down the middle of the square stairs to see endless darkness. The floor seemed just as far as the top of the stairs.

If I went farther up, my sense would leave me completely eventually, and if I went down... I might not reach it in time. I grabbed my head painfully, the noise upward starting to drive me insane. Before I knew it, I grabbed the stair rail, and jumped. Then I was falling downward towards the eternal darkness.

My eyes snapped open. I was panting, my heart beating wildly, and my body was wet with sweat. It took a moment, but I got ahold of myself. That's when I realized that the whole couch was in the sun's ray. It wasn't my dream that made me hot, but just the sunlight... that was fading away.

I sat up, noticing the television had been shut off. I wiped off my brow, and stood up to stretch to the ceiling. Then, feeling the irritation too much to bother with, I ripped off the cross around my neck, and pulled out the earrings. I glanced at the time to see that it was nearly 8:00pm. Holy Jesus, I just slept the whole day. How... vampire-ish of me is that?

I sat there for a moment, trying to get ahold of myself. What a waste of a dream... running up stairs. Wow, that never happens to a person in their life! Yeah, right. There was a rapping on the window behind the television, and I snapped my attention to the person. I guess I was expecting it to be Daviel, but instead, Ryen stood there with a worried expression. He gestured for me to come outside.

A real Romeo, he is. 

I got to my feet, and ran to the door (doing my famous sliding with my socks on wood). Then I opened it, realizing how dark it had gotten. Before I could do anything, Ryen snatched my arm, and started dragging me through the backyard. Then we were traveling pass other yards, never going to the road. I was too busy making sure I wouldn't trip and fall on my face, for it had rained during the day. How did I know this? Why, my socks were now a muddy brown and soaked, that's how!

"What are you doing," I hissed in annoyance, "If you want to get laid, I prefer to do it on a couch than in mud..." I paused. "Though, that is kinda hot, but still." Ryen stopped short, turning to me with a weird look in his eyes.

"Oh, God, you're a slut," Ryen stated in shock, "What the hell..." And he went into shocked muttering before continuing to drag me along behind him.

"Who are you calling a slut," I snapped, insulted, "Just 'cause I like them hot doesn't mean I do 'em all."

Ryen scoffed, and then smirked. "Oh, so you think I'm hot," he said, but shook his head, "Besides, you barely know me. When you offer it to any stranger, it's called being a whore." I made a face that included sticking out my tongue.

"Well, I know you're Ryen James... you're alone, new, and you have connections," I stated, which isn't much, "And you must be a vampire, seeing as you only show up at night, and you know an awful lot about vampires. You _are_ a vampire, right? I remember you stating it full out... especially when you said 'us' as in a group... the group being a vampire, correct? And this time, I promise I'll actually believe you if you tell the truth." And I smiled brightly, before scowling again.

"Oh, I'm a vampire," Ryen stated, "And you're half-vampire... which is actually pathetic." I glared at the back of his head.

"I'm NOT pathetic... but I think I'm a vampire," I said uncertainly.

"Half."

"Same thing."

"Not the same thing," Ryen stated, "Half-vampires are rare. Not unheard of, but rare. Usually, at marriage, the human is turned to a vampire... and they can reproduce full vampires, which are the most respected." Ryen smiled smugly, and I assumed he must be one of those 'most respected' vampire types. "But there are powerful vampires who aren't full... like Daviel Darque Orome... who was turned as a deal by his sister, Jestin Jules Orome."

Now, this was not a story I had heard. Jestin would be my middle name, and my aunt... who is dead, but who cares. At least SHE had a reason not to be around me, unlike the irresponsible git by the name of Daviel. "A deal," I asked, egging Ryen to continue.

"Well, 259 years ago, Daviel was turned at the age of 19... forever destined to look 19. The day he was turned was Jestin's 17th birthday. Before then, Jestin had met a man by the name of Josepher. He... well.. he was already a full vampire, but he fell for Jestin on site. Reading her mind, no doubt. Still, she was young, so Josepher had it in his mind that at the right age, he would change her. Meanwhile, he courted her until she felt the love in return.

On the night of her birthday, Josepher told her of his nature. Told her that by changing her, she would live with him forever. Very romantic, actually. Well, to romantics, it would be. Just gooey, in all. Anyways, Jestin agreed, feeling that loving him forever would be perfect. Though, Jestin wanting a condition with it. She told Josepher that in order for her to change, she wanted Daviel to be changed as well. Seeing as in their wealth, they never were allowed real friends, the siblings had befriended each other.

So, Josepher obliged willingly. He changed Jestin, and went to change Daviel. Of course, during the process, Josepher claimed Jestin for his own. Not to control, like he did with other humans, but just to warn others away from Jestin. By claiming Jestin, Josepher did allow a bondage between their thoughts. So Jestin could sense the hatred of Daviel in Josepher's mind, and she felt the feeling starting to apply for herself. They abandoned Daviel to live on his own," Ryen finished. I allowed Ryen to lead me into view of Lake Miramax while thinking of the short story.

From what Mom said, Jestin didn't hate Daviel. Mom said that Jestin was more of an air-headed girly girl than an evil lover. Weak, mom had said, with Daviel's protection, Jestin was weak. Besides that, Jestin lived with Daviel for a long time. Ryen never finished the story.

I was going to force more out of Ryen, but concentrated on getting into the cave. No difficulty, actually. When I got in, I sat down and pried off my soaked socks. Then I threw them out of the cave. Oops; I've forever polluted Lake Miramax. Hehehehe.

"What happened afterward," I suddenly asked. Ryen was sitting just in front of me, and he peered at me in shock.

"You don't even know about your own father," he asked suspiciously.

"Look," I snapped, "I never even knew him. He ditched my Mom and I. I only knew some things, but other than that, I'm blank." Ryen sighed.

"Years went by, Josepher and Jestin together. Blah, blah, blah," I noticed the bitterness in his voice, "Jestin had gone completely evil, actually. Daviel fought his way up the power ladder. He trained himself to entertain himself. Then come a day when Jestin got absolutely furious with Josepher. Why? I'm not going to tell you that." He smirked at the annoyance in my face.

"There are different stories as to what happened next, but I happen to know what happened. Jestin went to visit her brother, Daviel. Feeling rage towards her lover, she told Daviel to kill Josepher. Of course, she told him that the only reason she was evil was because Josepher was making her. That he influenced her, when she just chose to be evil. Josepher actually liked the sweetness in her heart the most, but that was gone by now. Daviel made legend when he challenged the claim, and slaughtered Josepher... supposably freeing Jestin from her bonds.

So, Jestin's rage at Josepher's treachery -- I'm still not telling you what it was -- was revenged, and she stayed with her brother, instead, basking in his protection. They were fine throughout the years, actually. Then, Daviel was on his prow for suicidal blood-givers when he met the famous Iveria Elaine Kinrey of Kingston High. While mistaking her for a blood-giver, he gave away the fact that he was a vampire, and used her as a toy for his baby sister," Ryen said dully.

I smiled. "A toy," I asked.

"A doll... a human companion for friendship," Ryen admitted.

"How was she 'famous'," I inquired curiously. And why didn't mom tell me any of this?

"Well, she ended up being 'It'...," Ryen waited for recognition in my eyes, but didn't receive it. "Wow, they told you nothing, then. 'It' is the thing with the ultimate power. The power of reality. It's... it's like being God, but not actually being God. The power is very important, and Jon-Deus Elequet was the previous owner. He fell for a maid, and got her pregnant... giving her child the power. Well, the child was more the carrier instead of a user.

Anyways, it went through the Kinrey family until 'It' found Iveria, finding her to be suitable to handle the power. Which she does very well... assuming she hasn't actually altered the reality so far. As long as everything doesn't go completely out of wack or the world doesn't end, Iveria is doing fine. I think she finds the best way of owning this power is by not using it unless necessary... which is very wise," Ryen stated.

"Blah, blah, get on with the story," I muttered in annoyance. I happen to know what he's talking about now.

"All right! Your dad _eventually_ fell for your mom. It took forever, but it happened. Then, Josepher came back from Hell, now being half-demon, and took off with both Jestin AND Iveria. He loved Jestin, still, thinking that Daviel had killed Josepher on whim. Josepher also suspected Iveria to be 'It', but Iveria wasn't so sweet towards him because he had killed her brother... O... Orlando... no... something like that.

Sadly, Jestin was in Josepher's control this time, using her past love to control her. And she attempted to kill off Daviel, seeing as Josepher didn't figure that Daviel would kill his younger sister... which, shocking, he did. Then, Daviel showed up to brutally murder Josepher AGAIN, leaving Daviel and Iveria to love, get married--making the rare move of not changing Iveria to a vampire-- and have a merry kid and blah blah," Ryen snarled, shocking me. What's he so mad about?

"So, powerful, but obviously not respected by you," I stated sarcastically. With Ryen's look, I raised my hands, "Hey! I don't like him, either. That makes the two of us. Besides, they never had a merry kid and blah blah. If I were so merry, he wouldn't have gone off to further explore the world."

"Yeah," Ryen said slowly, "I was born a full vampire before Jestin was even born. Then Daviel ended up killing someone close to me, actually... so I'm not so happy with him." There was silence in the cave.

"So why'd you bring me here, again," I asked, "Or was it to tell me the story on my parents?" Ryen seemed to be shocked again. The realization came onto his face, and he looked up sharply.

"Oh, I just saved yourself from being framed," Ryen stated shortly.

So... um... what?


	16. Chapter 15

Part Fifteen:

"Saved.. framed.. what," I asked skeptically. This all made no sense what-so-ever. "What.. how can I have been framed. Nothing happened." I then paused. "How do you know I was supposably getting framed?" I do believe I have a major stalker here.

Ryen hesitated, ruffling his blonde hair in pondering. "Um," Ryen said, making a pain face at having to answer the questions, "If I'm not much mistaken... your gay friend should be dead. Uh... nobody will have noticed, yet, but when they did... you'd at least blame yourself. That or they'd all blame you by saying you stabbed his neck and carved the word 'homo' on his forehead."

Ok, don't panic.

"You see, your friend in the hospital was suppose to die, too. Uh... and her boyfriend's death along with hers was suppose to be laid on you," Ryen explained. Panic. "As well as your gay friend. Being a new vampire and all.. it gives the sense that you are losing control. So you'd blame yourself as well as losing the ones closest to you..." I jumped up.

"Is this some sort of sick joke you're pulling," I snapped, "Jason isn't dead. Nobody was even in the house. Candace just overdosed during her trip... and her boyfriend... her boyfriend was killed... it was an accident most likely because I was... I was..." I flustered with every second of the explanation. This was all insane. Ryen was just being some sort of idiot; trying to drive me insane because... I don't know.. driving me insane is his stalker theme or something.

"Look, you aren't doing any of this," Ryen started hastily, starting to stand as well.

"THEN WHO I-I-... IS?!"

Ryen hesitated. "I can't tell you that..." He looked up desperately at my step back. "But I can say it isn't you!"

I scoffed. "You know what? I don't care. This is all just sick. I don't want you ever to come near me or anybody around me again." I started towards the entrance of the cave.

"But I could tell you who is next..."

I screeched, "Then it's you, isn't it!? You just stay far away from me!" I went into a mutter, "This is just a dream. I'm no vampire, he's not real, and nobody is hurt OR dead." Suddenly, Ryen sighed melodramatically, and bounded towards me. "YOU JUST S-S-STAY BA--" He pushed me out of the cave forcefully.

I burst through the water and into thin air. It was almost slow-motion as I watched the cave move farther away from me. My face was set in a surprised scream, but no time for a sound came. Then, amazingly, my body went on its own accord. It turned so that I could see the ground rushing towards me, and then my head dove down so that I did a full flip.

It was almost a jolt when I landing on my feet in a half-crouch. I was holding my breath in shock. Then I let it all out, and started panting in a small panic. I was just pushed from a killer height... and landed safely on my feet. Yes, I do believe I've gone completely wacky. And if this is true, then everything else must be completely true. Ryen is a full vampire, and someone is out to get me by killing my closest friends.

I burst from my crouching position, and stormed to the road. Then I ran to my house, preparing to take a car to Jason's house. I had to make sure he was all right.. and I HAD to go make sure nobody came back to finish off Candace. I tried to open the car door, but it was locked. I didn't even notice the rather wealthy looking car parked just next to it.

Instead, I bounded into the house, looking at the key holder next to the door. I started stifling through the junk on the kitchen counter when I saw no car key on the key holding. Then I burst into the living room, stifling through the table cabinets, coffee table, homely baskets, and so forth. Next was the couch cushions.

As I ripped the cushion from the couch, a deep voice said, "What... are you doing?" Hmm... sounds like the voice of a dumbass if you ask me. I ignored it, and looked under the couch, also glancing under the table. "Umm... looking for something?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you say something," I asked, annoyed, casting a glance over Daviel to see he was seated on the other recliner. Instead, I left the cushions on the floor and moved on to the search in the love seat.

"What are you looking for," Daviel asked, just as annoyed. I took a full minute of silence.

"Oh," I said, as if I just remembered he was there, "Sorry, I can't really hear the words of irresponsible boobs." I looked under the love seat, getting furious. Where did I put the car keys?!

"And how exactly is a boob irresponsible," Daviel inquired dully. I stood up, and glared at him.

"By not being there when they're suppose to be, that's how," I snapped, "Now get off that seat, nimrod." Daviel sulked for a moment, but obliged by standing up to lean against the wall. I started my search through the stupid seat. "Where are the retarded keys," I mumbled, now completely frustrated. I considered breaking the car window... but then I'd have to hot-wire it. Eh, it'll do.

I suddenly heard the jangle of keys. Slowly, I lifted my head to see Daviel throwing the key chain with a small, fuzzily, rainbow ball connected from one hand to the other. I narrowed my eyes. "Where'd you get those," I inquired suspiciously. He shrugged.

"I used Ivy's car to drive around... just in case mine was spotted and familiar to someone," Daviel stated with an evil smile. "So, why do you need the car after running away from home for a couple of days? What _exactly_ makes you think you DESERVE to borrow the car?" Oh, how he was enjoying this power. I stood up, placing one hand on my hip in annoyance.

"Daddy, can I please, please, please borrow the car? I'll love, love, love you for ever and ever. I'll give you a kissy and huggy and all kinds of stupid.. I mean, lovely daughter-father stuff. Plllleeeeeaaasssee, daddy. I wuv yooooouu," I begged in a whiny-pitched, more preppy voice than mine. I held one hand out, glaring at him with a look on my face that completely contradicted my pleading words.

"Hmmm... no," Daviel stated, thoroughly amused.

"Yo, dawg, gimme da keys 'nd we cood hang wit da oder bros over at der cribs, yo," I said in a lower voice... completely awful accent of the 'hood'.

"What... the hell... is that," he said incredulously.

"I'm a ganster... yo," I said darkly, "Now we could do the emo version: Maaaaaan, you never let me do shit. I'm goin' to go cut myself, AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! One day you'll pay. I can't be like you, no matter what you tell me to. Now I'm going to become gay, cry alot, and cut slash die my hair purple just because I know you'll disapprove. I hate you.

Ooor the most famous of my friends 'high-argument': Dude, fuck you. That's not right, man.

Or the goth one: Go to hell.

Or I could be the nerd girl one: All right, father. But just so you know, all I wanted to do was go over to my friends house because the equivalent of a young man being depressed in an overly askew-minded , hatred-filled, wood or brick built, high technological building full of mentally unstable homosapiens that perfer not to circumvent their male offspring who has sense of dis-belonging seems to endorse the chemicals that produce a sense of deep depression that will soon end with him letting his red blood cells drain from his homosapien body isn't a good thought to keep in mind when you attend the fake mourning of this young, male homosexual homosapien's unfortunate fate. I prefer to take a more updated version of technological traveling to further induce a sense of security within this completely maniacal world... and all that paraphernalia."

I don't think I could say that again.

"Or," Daviel said after a moment of trying to understand what I just explained, "You could just say: Could I have the keys because... and fill in the blank."

I sighed, "Could I have the keys because I need to go to my gay friend's house to make sure he's... alive." Daviel didn't answer for a moment. "Please." I gritted my teeth in order to get THAT word out.

"And why wouldn't he be alive," Daviel asked curiously. Wow, and he's suddenly wanting to get involved.

"Umm.. suicide," I said. I could tell he could tell that I was lying. Great. "Just.. fine, come with me, then. It'll only take.. what?... two seconds." I snatched his arm, and started dragging him towards the door. Mom appeared just as I was opening the door. I pointed at her, "YOU'RE not going." Then I left without waiting for a response, leaving Daviel there as well.

I got in the driver's seat, and sat there. Daviel was suddenly at the door. "Do you have your driver's license," he asked suspiciously. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, sure, give me the keys," I said, holding out my hand.

"No, you don't," he scoffed, "Get out of the drivers seat, now." I scoffed. He scoffed. We all scoffed.

I bent down, and searched under the driver's seat. At the same time, I locked the car doors. "What are you doing," Daviel asked, alerted immediately. I smiled, reflecting the evil smile he had just inside the house. Then I pulled out a pocket knife I had hidden under the seat.

"Hot-wiring the car," I stated, shrugging.

"All right," Daviel snapped, "Here, take the keys." I opened the car window, and he dropped the keys in my palm. Then, as I started the car, he was suddenly in the passenger seat. That was awfully quick.

"You don't say nothing about Jason, all right," I snarled, as I put the car in reverse.

Daviel had a look of mischief in his eyes, but said, "Why would I say anything about Jason?" I didn't reply as I drove the car towards his house. Daviel instead just stared at me, pondering over something silently. I kept looking in the corner of my eyes to see if he was still staring at me. He was. Stupid... annoying... stubborn...

"Anything strange happening lately," he asked suddenly. I glared at the road ahead of me.

"Wow, um, besides _you_ showing up," I inquired in reply. "I found that I can amazingly literally sleep all day long. I can smell blood from a mile away. Well... not literally, but close enough. Sometimes I wake up and I have fangs. Sometimes I don't. Oh.. and I was just... I fell from a waterfall, and landed on my feet. Unless you just don't consider that weird, but I'm just assuming this is all just a really sucky dream because my best friend has been turned..."

Daviel snapped his attention fully to me. "What?!" I glared at him in return.

"Into a cheer-prep robot, you retard," I snapped, "And my other close friend is in the hospital from drug overdose... not to mention her boyfriend died at that same time." I shivered. Let's just let him think that her boyfriend O.D. "Other than that, the sun is very irritating, crosses are killer, oh... and I get unusually hungry at times and... we're here." I parked the car on the side of the road. That would be because there were police cars, ambulance, and even a news van. I just sat there for a moment.

Maybe Jason's dad just had a heart attack. I mean... he is quite popular. But for the news? This was proven wrong when both his dad and mom followed a stretcher with a hidden body outside. Oh, God. Jesus Harold Christ. Well, it can't be what Ryen said. Though... maybe he just fell down the stairs or something. I was too busy thinking deeply about this, trying to drive all else out of my head -- seeing as I happened to be dreadfully fearful of actually believing Jason was dead --, that I didn't even notice Daviel heading over towards the news van.

Anyways, whoever was trying to destroy my life obviously had no idea who I was. Everyone knew I beat the shit out of anybody who even tried to make fun of Jason's orientation. So what exactly makes that person think that by carving 'homo' into Jason's forehead would be a thing I would think of doing? Besides, he can't be dead. I mean, this is all just a misunderstanding. He just...

I was suddenly storming across the road. It was like I had a blank moment. "Jason," I screeched furiously. My surroundings were amazingly blurry. My focus had been narrowed to the stretcher that was being lifted into the ambulance. I didn't even notice the startled voices around me as I grabbed the side of the stretcher. I forced it back on the ground without even effort. "Jason," I muttered. I unzipped the bag without hesitation.

Oh, it was Jason, all right. His head was turned to the side, his mouth opened in surprise. On his forehead were deep gashes that formed the word 'Homo'. On his neck were two puncture holes. I reached to touch the word on his forehead, but paused to hover my hand over his head. I bit my bottom lip, and moved my hand to his chest. There wasn't a pulse. It was as if he had no heart, anymore. And this tore off a rather large piece of my own heart.

My glare deepened, and I lifted my face to look at his parents. His father looked sullen, and his mother was bawling into Jason's father's chest. "Don't let them touch him," I snarled to nobody in particular. Jason's mother looked up, startled.

"How **dare** you," she screamed, "It YOUR fault he's dead! Allowing him to go around; creating enemies!" I started to lunge at her, but someone grabbed my around the waist before I could.

"DON'T LET THEM T-TRICK YOU," I roared in rage, "THEY H-H-HATED HIM! THEY'RE L-LIARS!!" I was now being dragged away from the crowd, leaving Jason's mother to bawl some more. "L-LIARS! I _hate_ you all! You've killed him... you've k-killed G.L... J-j-..." I let the rest go. I think now is the best time to explain my stutter problem.

Well, more of a stutter-anger problem. Since I was little, I had this problem. (Found out during some of my fits I threw.) I stuttered. My mind would go reeling, my fury out of control, and my mouth would fail me. I mean, it's not something that can be fixed by repeating the word you stutter. It just happens. And I was in speech class for the most of six years before I learned how to control it the best I could. One: stop getting so angry. Two: when I do start to stutter, stop talking. It works. It takes a minute, but then I can start again in a much calmer attire.

At this point, I wasn't going to get any calmer. I was just yelling everything I wanted to say within myself, instead of trying to stutter my way through it. Sometimes, and this is a shocker, I can actually speak right when I'm yelling. Like, I've got so use to yelling at Mom that I can yell without stuttering so much with her. That's because, with her arguments, I taught myself to keep my rage in control. Yet, when you find one of your closest friends has been killed under your own nose, you get out of control.

I had been thrown back into the car, and Daviel was now driving the car around to another street. Actually, he wasn't heading back home. Instead, he pulled into a road that would lead into the middle of nowhere... located within Reaper, of course. A nowhere that happened to be somewhere in the middle of the woods. The woods that were rather large: they led all the way to Miramax if I wanted to go there.

And then Daviel parked the car, getting out himself. If I had to guess, I'd say it seemed as if HE was mad. Go ahead and be mad, dork. See if I care!


	17. Chapter 16

Part Sixteen:

I sulked in the car for a moment, watching Daviel pace back and forth in front of it. He was muttering something, and looked as if he was trying to calm himself. I turned my head to the side, so that my ear was faced towards the windshield. It was shocking when my hearing focused on his words.

"Bitten on the neck," Daviel muttered, but it sounded more clear to me, "I knew this would happen. Got here just a little too late. Ivy should have contacted me as soon as she suspected... of course it was Sprice who did it. Being a new vampire... the thirst... blaming others..." And then the words were blocked from my mind. I had just felt the world fall around me. It was exactly as Ryen had stated. Of course Daviel would blame me.

Then I was full of rage. _I'm_ the boss here, NOT **him**! How dare he blame me for killing one of my closest friends. HOW DARE HE. And there he was, now walking around the car, towards my door. Apparently, he was fixed on yelling at me, most likely saying up-right that it was me who killed Jason. Stupid. Stupid Daviel. Stupid stupid Daviel. I will _kill_ him.

Daviel grabbed the door handle at the same time I grabbed it. He hadn't seen me grab the handle, or he would have noticed my next plan. I slammed the door open, busting Daviel in the face, and he fell back, startled. I'm sure I could have said that it was an accident, but I think my sanity was gone by now. Instead, I stormed out of the car as Daviel got back up. He looked extra pissed. Must have been my reflection.

I swung a punch at Daviel, and he backed up swiftly. After about five swings, he actually jumped forward, causing me to back up in startlement. I nearly fell, but regained my rage. Instead, I twisted around, and focused my rage in my fist as it swung around to hit Daviel. He ducked, grabbed my wrist, and twisted my arm behind me. He slammed me face-first into the nearest tree.

"You need to learn to control yourself," Daviel snarled, as I tasted the blood that had come when I bit my tongue, "Now, I can understand how you would have bitten your friend, but you can't go around killing people on 'go'. And you need to stop attacking me." He moved his mouth closer to my ear, probably feeling my rage building. "You need... to stop... being so angry."

I'll show you angry. I stopped breathing. No, that's not what I meant about angry, but Daviel looked slightly anticipating... and he tightened his grip before I could escape. Wrong thinking. I let out a burst of rage, and slammed my head back to collide with Daviel's nose. Even I heard that loud crack. I would also like to give that out to Hope... for that's the second time I got Daviel with the head-butting.

I twisted around, for Daviel had completely dropped me, and I jumped on his back. I figured it was the safest way to attack him at this moment, seeing he had 'kill' written on his expression. I wrapped an arm around his neck in a death grip, and insured this by wrapping my legs around his torso. Then I started beating his head with my free hand. Daviel snatched my hand, and twisted it so that I heard... and definitely felt the bones snap.

I would have screamed, actually. But the moment I opened my mouth, I could sense the fangs fully in view, and I instead bit down on Daviel's shoulder. Which not only stifled my scream of anguish and pain, but also caused Daviel to yell out in reply. When I had bitten down, it was purely to cause him pain, but then again why not drain him while I'm at it? So, I bit down more furiously, and loosened my grip so that the blood could exit more freely. Wow, I'm a natural.

Suddenly, Daviel reached back with both of his hands, grabbed my shoulders, and (with shocking strength) pried me off of him before throwing me over his head and onto the ground in front of him. I had done a complete flip, and now looked up to see Daviel glaring at me with dark red eyes that almost looked as if the red were swimming around with the darkness. I had the wind completely knocked out of me, and felt slightly paralyzed. So I lifted the unbroken hand to rub my head, but dropped it beside me before it reached my head.

Daviel closed his eyes, almost as if he were trying to escape into another world. When he opened them again, they were back to the normal black with red tint... but the red was more definite than usual. He reached over to his shoulder, where I had bitten him, and rubbed it curiously. When he looked at his fingers to see his own blood, he sighed before using his other hand to start rubbing the bridge of his nose. Daviel walked around me... I being the one who was now just laying like a log, completely drained of rage.

I sat up, moving my right hand in front of me to see that it was still broken. I licked my upper lip, pondering on this fact. If I was half-vampire, why wasn't it healing. My fingers looked out of sort... maybe I have to put them back. OW, no. Let's not do that.

"See, that's the anger I was talking about," Daviel said suddenly, "That makes you want to punch everyone.. and bite people." I slowly looked up to glare at him.

"You broke my fucking hand," I growled.

"So what did your homo do," Daviel asked dully.

"Nothing--" But be my friend. "You're the first person I bit." I think.

"Well, that's just great," Daviel stated, "Now I've got a first with my own kid. Just like a normal father."

"Oh, don't flatter yourself. You tasted horrible."

"I think everyone would be better off if I just kill you now."

"Not if I kill you first."

"Bleeding Christ, you-"

I interrupted. "Bleeding Christ, you're stupid."

"Did you just--" 

"Bleeding Christ, did you just--" 

"You're just trying to--"

"Bleeding Christ."

"Stop saying that!"

"BLEEEDDDINNG CHRIST! Bloody Christ. Jesus is bleeding. Blood... bluuuuud... bleeeding 'cause Christ is on his period. BLEEDing Jesus," I continued in defiance. Then I went into a chant of, "Bleeding Christ, bleeding Christ, bleeding Christ..." while Daviel rubbed his hands together, staring up at the sky with such pained expressions of wanting to kill his own kid.

"Bleeding Christ," I mocked. Then I muttered, "Who says Bleeding Christ? Who says Holy Pineapple? Who says anything they say? Stupid people who think they're..." And I trailed off into my muttering ways. Then I glanced at Daviel to see how this was killing him, and I stopped talking. "I dare you to," I suddenly said to him.

Daviel looked from the sky to me. "To what?"

"I dare you to kill me," I stated without showing any expression. That's how you dare someone. You look at them, and state it as it is. Otherwise, they can use your expressions to see what you really think of the dare. Of course, I was just kidding. You know, trying my best to annoy Daviel. It floats my boat. Which is only a famous saying because it rhymes and has meaning. Well, kind of... because the only thing that floats your boat is something about the density of water and wood and whatever. So, if you put boat on quick sand, it wouldn't float. Therefore, this float boat saying should be more something like... whatever keeps you afloat. Like... a boat would keep you afloat. Of course, that doesn't rhyme, but still.

Daviel started walking towards me, and I considered saying something like 'I was just joking' in case he was actually going to kill me. Then I remembered that I would just kick his ass if he tried, so I just stared at him without expression. Daviel sat down in front of me, and in two seconds, he grabbed my right hand. I winced. Oh, great, torture.

He pulled my fingers apart, and flattened my hand in his. Of course, I could now feel the ache of pain that had been pounding on my hand enough to where it was now slightly numb. More of a fire, actually. And if you were to... I screamed in pain. While I was off thinking like an idiot, Daviel had tightened his grip, and suddenly pulled my hand so sharply that it was startling enough to send immense pain through my arm!

And then the pain was gone. Daviel let go of my hand, and I slowly flexed it... expecting sharp pain to appear again. "It was broken out of place," Daviel stated, "You can't heal it unless it's back to its original place." I blinked in shock.

"Oh," was all I could say.

"So, you're saying you didn't bite that guy," Daviel inquired calmly. I considered getting mad, but suppressed it.

"I didn't hurt Jason," I stated.

"Who did," Daviel asked. I shrugged. Daviel hesitated, thinking about something. "You... you want a ride home or--" I shook my head.

"I can walk," I stated when actually, I was planning on heading to the waterfall cave. Where Ryen would kindly explain to me who is doing this... or at least tell which friend would be attacked next. Whatever keeps him afloat. See? It works.

As I walked towards Lake Miramax... well, I was hoping I was going the right way... I suddenly had a thought in my head. How freaked out would R.L. be when she found out about my dad showing up at last? And that I was a half-vampire? I mean, she'd probably be so excited, and most likely hoping I would turn her. Which I would if she wanted to because then we'd be evil vampires for forever. Going around and killing whoever whenever we wanting. Doing anything we want.

Then I remembered that R.L. wasn't my friend anymore. I could remember Candace sitting next to me as we sat on the stairs of her porch. It would be after I went to Hope, though. Candace was who I went to when I thought about all the things I did for R.L. and I'd get angry. She'd always come up with so many different things to do, and I'd forget about the reason why I felt that R.L. was still my friend. Especially when I'd think about how it must have been my fault. That I seriously did cause R.L. to be depressed all these years.

And I paused. I had time later to talk to Ryen. To ask him if he knew who was next. Candace was still in the hospital, and here I was... messing around. I turned to head towards the hospital, and nearly ran into Ryen. Speak of the devil, and he shall rise... which is bull because I can say Satan all I want and I don't see a hot angel showing up to convince me to do evil deeds.

"Woah," I said, "You're like... superman. Zoom. You're here." I stated, and shoved him back.

"Where are you going," Ryen asked curiously.

"Off to finish off Candace before someone else does," I said sarcastically. Ryen chuckled, and moved to the other side of me.

"Guess what I found out," Ryen said with a smirk.

"What?"

"Dear Sprice Orome, you say," Ryen asked in a more older, female voice, "Oh, you mean Ivy's little girl? Yeah, she was just the cutest little thing in church. Then again, she has changed. Yes, a lot. How? Well, I'm not sure, but she'd been arrested twice already. Them cops can't even get her to calm down to the way she use to be. Personally, I think it's because she's got no daddy to enforce the rules. Ivy was always a little weaker without her man. Oh, yes, I remember him. Use to be dark.. mysterious, but he seemed happy to have a child. Well, at least that's what I thought, but then he disappear and blah blah blah..." Ryen went back into his normal voice.

"Who told you all that," I asked suspiciously.

"Your neighbor is a talker," Ryen stated with a shrug.

"Ms. Warden," I said, surprised, "I thought she died!" Well, I wouldn't know. I don't think I ever paid attention to her. Oh, well.

"Why'd you get arrested," Ryen inquired, leaning against a tree. I scoffed.

"That's none of your business," I stated. I started walking off towards the road. Well, the direction where I hoped the road would be. Ryen followed behind.

"You told me about your friends," Ryen said, "And I helped you from getting framed with your guy friend's murder. Just tell me why you were arrested twice." I turned to snap at him, and paused. Ryen had his outer lip out, and his hands together in pleading. I narrowed my eyes. "Please with a cherry on top."

"I hate cherries."

"Fine, what do you like?"

"It was on the spur of the moment," I said suddenly. Ryen looked confused at the change of subject, but I said, "R.L. said she never touched a horse before and she loved horses. So I took her to a farm, and we broke into the barn. There, we were petting the horses, and we got caught trespassing..." I paused for a moment. "And then she told me what her dad did. I found out where he lived, and I set his yard on fire. I was hoping it'd catch his house on fire, but then I was caught and sent to Juvenile Hall."

Ryen didn't say anything for a moment. "So, for your friend?" I didn't reply, but stepped out onto the road.


	18. Chapter 17

Part Seventeen:

Ok, so only now did I noticed that I forgot to ask Ryen who was next. I mean, my friends are in danger... who cares if my family is, and I forget to find out which one would be next. If I had half a mind, I would go find Ryen, and torture the information from him.

Of course, I've baked that part of the mind loooong ago.

Instead, I was sitting on the edge of Candace's hospital bed, watching her just lay there in her coma. There was no change. I was actually starting to fear that she would just... plop.. die. Her mom and little sister were down at the gift shop, using their time to buy Candace more gifts she won't know is there. Well, her sister would be in the web area, typing away emails to her friends about how bored she was. I seriously think Candace's sister is evil. Maybe we should have added her to the pack. Would have been a perfect addition.

Anyways, I was considering leaving. It didn't look as if Candace was waking up anytime soon. But I waited another thirty minutes. It was as if I had a feeling that she would just wake up any moment. Or.. how did I say this previously? She would just... plop... die. That's right!

I was standing outside, considering sitting down on a bench. I didn't exactly want to go home. I didn't want to do anything, but maybe I'd go to Hope's house. The sun was rising already, and I could feel the tired numbness entering my body. But I would stay awake. I'll go to sleep later.

Then, my half-baked mind remember what I've been trying to do for awhile: Figure out who is next. So, I jumped up. It's sunny, so he'd still be inside his little cave. That, or he'd move elsewhere. I wouldn't know. Let's just hope on Buddha that he's still there.

When I grasped the edge of the cave, Ryen snatched my wrists, nearly shocking me to fall _again_. I'm starting to wonder if Ryen is actually insane. "Sprice," He said in surprise.. along with an edge of guilt. Hmm.. what's Mr. Caveman got to be guilty about? "A little help, here?" I asked when Ryen didn't let go of my wrists. He started pulling me up into the cave. The thing I hated the most about climbing up here is that I get soaked in the process. Stupid waterfall.

"How's the friend in the hospital," Ryen asked suddenly. I twisted the front of my shirt so that the water fell. Then I looked around. Wow, this cave was perfect for a vampire hide-out. I mean, there wasn't one bit of sun shining through.

"Nothing's changed," I stated, moving my gaze from the inner-cave to Ryen. Then I frowned. It was as if I had just noticed something. Which I just kind of did. Ryen always looked edgy, and he seemed to be hiding something. Yet he was watching me closely, leaving it open for me to say anything. "And the other friend is dead... I haven't talked to Hope since..." I paused. No need for him to know about Daviel. "And R.L." I scoffed. No matter how much I was hoping she was suffering in her suicidal ways, I was sure that she was happier than ever. All pom-pom and princess-like. Rich and preppy. Bitch.

"You're not going to go attempt suicide again, are you," Ryen asked. I made a face, but rolled my eyes.

"Nah," I glanced at my hands before looking at Ryen's face, "I guess I'll try to make myself happy." Then I mumbled, "No matter how much fate wants me to suffer."

Ryen chuckled. "How are you suffering? Well.. wait, that doesn't fit. Right... besides the obvious."

And I had to laugh. "The obvious? Being that my friends are being killed off for an unknown reason? Then I got my mother's insane ways, and always getting in arguments with her. THEN my best friend suddenly... I don't know... maybe she was infected by Kate Lorey one day when I wasn't looking, and now she's become a major bimbo. And not to mention that I have a stalker who happens to know not only everything that happens AROUND me, but everything that happened BEFORE me. Don't you think that's considered suffering? Oh.. wait, you're a vampire, so maybe that's considered... I don't know... kinky or something."

Suddenly, Ryen leaned towards me, and lightly kissed me. Even though I'd been _way_ past this sort of thing, I suddenly felt a nervous gut feeling. Maybe because all the other guys I was with never actually were there... actually there in my head. Like, how I couldn't even remember who my boyfriend's names were, but Ryen had already been stuck in the back of my head lately. And whenever I find a guy who I think I'd actually care about, I prefer to just shove them away. I'd only end up hurting them.

James for example. Hope's brother... well, one of her brothers.

When Ryen sat back, it took a moment before I said anything. "What was that?" Well, it was a question none-the-less, and it was to the point. I could be mad, or possibly suspicious... seeing as, as a stalker, he may have been planning this to eventually commit suicide if ever we broke up. After killing me for cheating on him with his hunky best friend, who would be rich and would flourish me with goods. Wait, Ryen doesn't exactly have a best friend who is rich as far as I know. So I must be thinking of a movie.

"I was kissing your boo-boo," Ryen stated like the smart ass he is, and then he smile sheepishly.

"Yeah, well, don't do that anymore," I ordered, sharp to the point. I pulled my knees to my chest, and hugged them, turning my face to look at Ryen.

"Why not," he asked, seeing that I wasn't exactly mad at all.

"It's a rule," I stated in a business tone.

"What? Don't kiss someone you care about," Ryen inquired in confusion. Then he seemed to realize something. "Or is this some sort of emotional thing that people talk about? Commitment issues or something?"

"I don't have issues," I said, insulted.

"The first step to recovery is admitting your damage," Ryen stated, now starting to laugh. I glared at him, which made him stop laughing.

"First of all, I don't know anything about you," I started.

"Unlike what you said when I kept you from getting framed," Ryen muttered, but at another moment of me glaring at him, he said, "All right. What's there to know? My name; Ryen James Greene. My favorite color; Red. My preferred music; Hard Metal. Or is it my age you're worried about?" And he peered at me closely.

I shrugged. "Look, all I came here to do is ask which of my friends is next. Would it be Hope... or would they go after Candace again?" Those would be the two options, so I was betting it was Hope. But Ryen now looked startled.

"You mean... that one girl, Ray or something, isn't your friend," Ryen asked, confused.

"Ray-Lottie would be the friend that turned into a bimbo, remember? We aren't friends anymore," I stated shortly. Then I realized something. "Wait. You mean she's next?" When Ryen nodded, I laughed shortly. "Wow, first this person thinks that people would believe I'd kill Jason because of his sex preference... and now they're going to go kill R.L. in thinking that I'd care? Seriously, what are they hopped up on?"

"Well, Ray-Lottie won't be attacked any time today, so she has until tonight to enjoy her life, I guess," Ryen said slowly. Right. I don't have to go save Ray-Lottie, now that we're no longer friends. We're practically enemies. But... and I should be killed for thinking this... wouldn't saving Ray-Lottie be... the right thing to do? Blah-humbug. That's right, blah.

"I guess... I could stay here for today," I suggested, looking around, "For your company only, because you look as if you're getting lonely." It's not like anything bad can happen out of staying in a cave for today. Besides, I need to think of my options for R.L.

I'm not sure where how all this happened. I being Iveria Elaine Orome, formally known as Kinrey, the one who fell in love with the one main thing that I completely disagreed with. Well, not the one thing I disagreed with, seeing as that was one out of many many things. But vampires were among those... mainly because I had never bothered with one before, and that all changed when I met Daviel. Though, if you heard my previous story, I'm sure we can settle on the fact that I fell in love with a major jerk.

I think I was hoping that he would change. I mean, I'm sure I changed. When you end up having a body form ripping you to pieces by birth, and grow into the real world to see loads of death, you tend to grow up. But I think Daviel is a type of guy who takes his sweet time in changing. Seeing as he happens to have a LOT of time to figure that out, right?

Now, two years after the Daviel-kidnapping-me-and-the-'It'-mess-that-got-me-kidnapped-by-Josepher-before-Daviel-killed-him-along-with-Jestin incident, I not only was in college, but I also got pregnant. Which kind of revolved around Daviel and I getting married. We left me as a non-vampire person, duh, seeing as being 'It' would leave me to decide how long I wanted to live.

Daviel was actually happy, I believe, around that time. Until he heard about the threat. Sure, they were from across the world, but Daviel actually cared about his own child, see. And the threat of Sprice's life not only freaked me out, but pissed Daviel off in that way that Daviel gets mad like. You can't imagine that fear you get when you realize that someone... no more than one person was planning on killing your child before she could even sleep overnight. Well, if you have a kid you care about, I'm sure you could.

So, much to my disliking, he left. At first, and I think Sprice doesn't know this, Daviel would come to visit. He adored her, which made him more determined to stop the threats. But when he had to go to the threat, which would be across the world, he didn't show up. He would send letters to ask about us, and I always had plenty of money to take care of her. And when Daviel completely disappeared, I think Sprice noticed somehow. How? I don't know.

She went insane, I do believe. I mean, I thought _I_ was crazy as a kid, but Sprice would probably... no... definitely be the type to beat the crap out of me if I was her age. I think I kind of gave up, though. I mean, here you got a child you love to death, and she absolutely loathes you. Not to mention, sometimes I feel like strangling the life out of her. It isn't as if I don't hear about what she does. Sneaking out, sleeping about, and even doing drugs. My Sprice has a little too much spice in her, and I want this known:

I blame Daviel. It's his gene. There is no way that she got that insane, rage-filled mind of hers from me. And I can see it as clear as day by the way she looks when she's pissed off. It's aaaaall Daviel. I've held out this long, it's time Daviel come here and tame himself. Himself being a teenage girl with a little tweak.

And here comes the big oaf now, walking into the house that he had sent us to to keep us safe. I smirked at the disgruntled look on his face. " 'Oh, she's just being a teen, Ivy. You're the adult. It's easy to fix her anger problem, but I'll bet it isn't too bad anyways.'," I mocked, repeating his words that he had responded when I had told him about Sprice.

Daviel sat down at the kitchen table in front of me, his dark face not changing. "I broke her hand," he stated dully. I opened my mouth in shock, and then flustered with fury.

"You WHAT?!" That's it, I'm sending him back to wherever he was. Man, screw the years of love and adoration. Corporal punishment is one thing, but breaking bones?

"She...," Daviel slightly hesitated under the familiar Poisonous glare, "Well, she bit me first."

I scoffed, "You bit me, too, remember!? I didn't break your hand, did I?"

"Hey, I'm not 'It', remember? Why can't you just make her be a good kid," Daviel asked accusingly. I glared at him for a minute.

"She _is_ a good girl," I stated bitterly. I stood up, and moved myself to lean against the wall that would give me vision of Sprice's room. Then I crossed my arms, and frowned. Daviel was suddenly wrapping his arms around me. "I think we doomed her from the start."

Daviel chuckled, "Because she's half-vampire?"

"Because we named her Sprice," I stated.

"Orome," Daviel suddenly said, "It's because her last name is Orome."

"Therefore it is your fault." 

"That's not fair."

"It is. All fathers are blamed for daughter behavior." I smirked.

"And where do you get this," Daviel asked.

"Father rhymes with daughter," I said, "Besides, God told me. And he made it especially for you. That's what he said." Disclaimer. I did not speak to God. "Did you get rid of the threat?"

There was definite hesitation. Hesitation... bad. Bad hesitation. That should not be allowed. "Actually, no," Daviel said slowly, "But I'll get them eventually."

"Just don't leave, again. You stay here," I turned to pout, and plead with puppy eyes.

"Fine," Daviel stated before kissing me.


	19. Chapter 18

Part Eighteen:

Everyone knew of the fate in the meeting of R.L. and Sprice, which would be me. With the others in the formally known pack, people just assumed I had met them after R.L. Actually, I had met Candace first out of all of them. It was only two years before I had met R.L., but Candace beat them all. Not in a good way, of course. Candace was actually a happy child then.

I absolutely loathed her.

I barely knew her, but from what I knew, she was what seemed to be a prep. Completely judgmental, and even too self-confident. She thought herself better than everyone... so in a way, she WAS a prep, but never a cheerleader. Unlike R.L., who I didn't know existed then... and who was also a cheerleader then. Candace could have been hurting inside or completely stuck up because she was happy, but I hated her anyways.

I don't think I ever actually expressed my problem with her. Sometimes she was around me when we hung out with the same people, and sometimes I did forget she was alive. I had met her in an empty classroom, though, before I even knew about her. All I knew is that there was an idiot boy in the fourth grade classroom waiting for me to come beat him up. Mainly because he was calling me a dork, but I had told him to wait for it. Even then, people knew of my violent rage.

I walked through the door to see him... George or something. There next to him was his friend, Candace. Apparently, she was there for protection. Either way, I was going to make it a nice simple punch in the nose for George. Being called names wasn't much of a punishment in return. And as I had walked towards George, Candace stepped in front of him to glare at me.

"You don't touch him," she had snarled. And just like that, my fist collided with her jaw. Whatever. If she wanted his punishment, I wasn't going to complain. I had gotten away without teacher's showing up, and after that... I had noticed Candace more. She was completely annoying. Yet, I hung around people who hung around her until I met R.L.

Then I met Jason a year after Ray-Lottie. We were already known as "Ray and Sprice" at every mention. I was taking a class with Jason. Math to be exact; in seventh grade. That was the year I never saw one glance of Candace, so I had forgotten her. I remember Jason was behind me, always the quiet one. And I must say, I, if possible, hated him more than Candace. He breathed too hard, and his hair was always nasty and greasy. Plus, he was completely weird... not knowing he was gay at that age.

I think the first time I had talked to him was when the teacher had to leave the classroom by itself for a whole period. Apparently, her son had been in a car wreck, and she had forgotten about getting us a substitute. I was considering ditching the class, and hunting down Ray to do the usual "she's needed in the office" bit before disappearing in the halls. Then, the class had started moving closer towards me.

Well, at first I had thought it was me, but when they had said, "What's it like to be a fruitcake?" I realized they were talking to the freak behind me. I had turned to look at Jason, who was then very red, and also seemed to be going through a small growth spurt. His jeans were flooded and a little too tight, and his shirt happened to have a Barbie and Ken doll picture on the back. His hair was black, then, to his mid-neck, and absolutely slick with grease.

Quite repulsive, actually.

And as the others laughed at him, everyone joining so that they wouldn't be the next victim, I just watched him. Jason had blocked out everything, this you could tell by his clinched jaws, and his hands were clinched so that I knew that his rather long nails would be digging into his palms. I turned my gaze to the girl who had started it, seeing that her shirt said "Hottie" with flames around it.

Suddenly, I burst into laughter, which seemed to have encouraged others to join furthermore in torturing Jason. What seemed to falter them was when I pointed at the nappy hair of the girl with the 'Hottie' shirt. "Hottie? Try nottie," I stated, letting out a stream of laughter, pretending to try to stop it when in reality I was actually forcing it. Then I pointed at the boy who had taken to throw erasers at Jason. "What is THAT," I asked, pointing at the birth mole on his left, lower cheek. "It's like... alive," I laughed, and a couple of others started laughing as well.

I turned to the person nearest to me, boy or girl, and said, "Could you please move out of my personal space? Your bathing with cow manure is making me sick." This brought more laughter as the others started to go back to their previous conversations. Jason was then off the hook. I looked at him slowly. "Take a bath, and you can start hanging out with me," I had told him shortly before moving on to my previous plan with Ray.

After that, I found out that Jason had actually known Candace. Which got her to start talking to me after I found that she had converted her ways to emo-osity. And the last one, which all must be questioning, would be Hope. I literally can't remember how I met her. I just know that it was on a bus. Somehow, she was just suddenly in my life.

After we all were together, we had decided to make the gang, and we came up with our pack names. Each initial gang-name would have an "L" in it. And with my record, along with the weirdness of the others, people decided to either leave us alone or keep in our grace. Those who decided to bug us without being in our grace would be known as the evil snobs. Which now including a traitor of our group. Well, our formally known group before I killed it.

I was now sitting on the edge of the cave, letting my legs occasionally lift into the falling water where they appeared on the other side into the sunlight. The sunlight leaning against the water caused there to be a rainbow color that brightened the cave slightly. I liked to place my feet in the rainbow. It reminds me of skittles. Taste the rainbow... it'll just taste like air or water.

Suddenly, I started giggling. In seconds, Ryen appeared beside me curiously. "What's so funny," he asked slowly, looking at the waterfall's color. I sighed, and looked at him.

"I've lately become a complainer," I stated shortly. When Ryen didn't understand this, I continued, "I don't complain, usually. I just punch and move on, but now I'm complaining." I waited to see what Ryen would think.

"Maybe you're growing into the adult ways," Ryen suggested. This annoyed me.

"Are you saying I've been acting like a child," I asked, offended.

Ryen shrugged, "You throw a fit like one." I sulked in silence. "Not that you aren't more mature than others your age. You just tend to throw a punch instead of talking it out in a more adult way." He was now trying to take back what he was saying because of my begrudged tone.

"I get what you mean," I admitted reluctantly, "That's actually why I've been hanging out with Hope. I figured that she could help me stop doing that, and she's actually helping a lot." I paused. "Then again, something doesn't seem to want me to be happy because now two of my friends are dead." And now back to my complaining ways.

"Actually, just one," Ryen said slowly, "You're other friend is just in a coma."

"On the brink of death," I scoffed, "Same thing. And now everyone hates me because I'm so bitter... Oh, God, I've become Scrooge." I was now startled at the resemblance. Except, Scrooge didn't kill anyone... he just was going to let poor injured Timmy or something die.

"You're not Scrooge," Ryen said with amusement, his eyes now bright with curiosity.

"Bah-humbug," I snapped darkly.

"Well, either way," Ryen started carefully, "You're still loads prettier than old Mr. Scrooge."

I scoffed. "_YOU'RE_ loads prettier than Scrooge... hell, my invisible rat is prettier than him!" Ryen stared at me for a moment, smiling at my last remark. "You're going to kiss me, aren't you?" Ryen didn't reply. "Even after I told you it was against my rules?" He shrugged.

"You're a rule breaker, remember," He stated, starting to lean towards me to plant his kiss. For a second, I wondered if he was really in love. Not if I was because love doesn't matter to me. My concern is for the other person, seeing as my rule is... and this is the killer moment that should be lit with warning lights that can be seen from space... never kiss a guy who actually cares. That'll be like walking through a mine-field with feet that has been borrowed from Bigfoot himself.

What if you fall in love with him in return, asks Snow White.

Never gonna happen, replies Miss Scrooge.

Just before Ryen places his lips on mine, I made a decision. I will MAKE him not care about me. Nobody likes a slut. I grabbed his shoulders, and shoved him back on the floor of the cave. Without hesitation, I straddled Ryen, ignoring his look of complete shock. I bent down, and locked my lips against his.

Before I knew it, Ryen shoved me to the side, pinning me against the floor instead. "What are you doing," he asked suspiciously. I smiled.

"Well, you see, I was assuming you wanted to fuck me...," I started, already seeing the distaste in his eyes. It was definitely working. Once I continue, he'll lose respect for me, and either screw me and ditch... or just ditch. Happens all the time, but I haven't had to use it against some of the guys who have crushes on me.

"I don't... I.. that's not what I was meaning to happen," Ryen stuttered, taking my place in the speech problem.

"Eventually, you'd go for it, I was just making it easier on you," I said with an evil smile. "Go on and do what you want. The kinkier the better."

Ryen scoffed, tightening his grip on my wrists. "You do have issues if you think I'm just going to..." He looked frustrated.

Now for the taunting. "Fuuuu.. come on, you can say it. Want me to spell it for you? F... U...C..." Ryen lifted me before slamming me back on the rock floor. I coughed, groaning, and laughed to cover that blow. "What's the matter with you?"

Ryen looked furious. "I know... Look, I know that you are hurting," Ryen started, and I rolled my eyes, groaning in complaint for the sob story. Ryen continued, "I know you're hurting, but throwing yourself on any guy who shows interest isn't going to fix anything, Sprice. As long as I'm around, I'm going to make sure you don't do stupid stuff, okay?" He shoved himself off of me, but I laid there for a moment.

Then I rolled on my stomach to look at Ryen's direction. "I don't think you can fix anything, just like I don't think Hope can fix anything either," I stated shortly, "So why don't you just leave me alone before you're disappointed again." My insides were actually starting to feel cramped together at the look on his face, but I only consoled my mind by stating that he's just some guy. No reason to get bugged by his thoughts of me.

"I'm not disappointed," Ryen said slowly, moving to sit in front of me, "Just a little confused."

Aren't we all?


	20. Chapter 19

Part Nineteen:

At some point, we had both fallen asleep. This I know because my eyes snapped open to darkness. Ryen was leaning against the cave's wall, and (amazingly) I was leaning against his chest. For a moment, I just sat there, not moving. It was weird; hanging out with a heterosexual guy without having sex with him. What a change THAT is...

It was like a jolt to my brain. I remembered what was suppose to happen tonight. And now, Ryen was too asleep to keep me from doing something stupid. That being referred to his words early today. I was fixing to do something stupid... at least it seemed stupid to me. Let's see:

I had a friend who stabbed me in the back.

Now some chick is going to go kill that ex-friend.

I'm going to go sacrifice my life to save that ex-friend.

And if I live, I'm still not going to forgive her.

Is that stupid? Well, I think so, but I'm going to do it anyways.

I stood up slowly so that I wouldn't wake up Ryen. I started to walk towards the cave entrance, and glanced back at Ryen to see he hadn't even stirred. What's he doing here, anyways? As I climbed down the waterfall, I noticed how dark it was. That gave a good chance that Ray-Lottie was dead by now, which would be kind of sweet. Well, that's bad thinking, but still. I'm not the one who ditched her.

Before I knew it, I was at her window. I had taken a short-cut of course, and I wasn't going to go barging in through the front door. That would be insane. I was going to barge in through her bedroom window! Just like the old days when friends were friends without being enemies. With one tug at the window, I realized it was locked. Hmm.. apparently Ray-Lottie figured I'd come back at some point. Which I totally wouldn't if it wasn't important. The last thing I actually wanted to do was look at her. And if I did, I wanted her to have her acne uncovered by her makeup, facial hair, and jacked up teeth.

So, with that image in my mind, I started to add force in opening the window. I'm half-vampire, this should be easy enough. As I added more and more pressure, I heard the whining of metal being strained. This was followed by a crunching sound... and grinding... and suddenly, there was a pop. I paused for a moment, and then when I tried pulling open the window, it opened easily. Apparently, I had destroyed the lock. Cool.

I could see through the darkness perfectly, and as I moved one foot into the dark room, I saw that it was empty. I could hear a television in another room, and figured Ray-Lottie was in there. Good enough for me. I closed the window behind me, and decided to hide in the closet. It was pretty big, so that would be good enough. Candace was attacked in her room. Jason was killed in his room. So Ray-Lottie should be getting attacked in here. Then I can stop this person along with figuring out who it is.

I had the closet door opened to a crack so that I could see into the room clearly. I could remember how we would hide in here for no reason, mainly after she was yelled at. It was like another world to me, and as long as I was in here, I couldn't be touched. And now I started fiddling with the oversized ring on my thumb, in which had a band of tape wrapped around it so that it would fit. It was the one that I had said mom had tried to take from me, but never succeeded. My fingers traced over the golden band, over the diamonds laced in it. And I started to zone out.

Just when I started to question why exactly I was hiding in my ex-best friend's closet, her bedroom door opened. Now to attack the stupid killer! The light turned on, and it nearly blinded me. Focus came back, and I saw that Ray-Lottie was yawning to go to bed. She had a phone to her ear, and laughed in mid-yawn.

"Well, I'm off to bed," she stated before hanging up the phone. I could see around the room, and I saw that she had gotten rid of everything that included me. I wonder if she had burned the stuff. I had merely thrown them in the back of my closet with the rest of my useless stuff. Ray-Lottie laid down in her bed, leaving the lamp light on. Then was more waiting.

Maybe I should just go and kill her myself. No, no, focus. But my focus was leaving. I felt my eyes droop, and I sighed in boredom. Luckily, Ray-Lottie was asleep by then, so she didn't hear me. I was considering starting to rip up all her good clothes in here when her I heard a small creaking sound. My eyes shot to the crack of the closet door, and I saw the window being opened slowly. And then the sight of the person who had been killing my friends came to me.

A girl with barbie blonde hair was slowly creeping into the room. She moved with ease, but I already knew she was a vampire. How else did those bite marks get on them? The girl was around my age, definitely, and she was absolutely pretty. The thing is... I had no idea who she was. What is she doing killing my friends for no reason? What beef does she got against _me_?

She was already heading towards Ray-Lottie with a knife in her gloved hands. Going to carve 'Prep' in Ray-Lottie's head? If she doesn't, I will... not. Nevermind. I needed to get her before she got Ray-Lottie. I stood up before exiting the closet. The blonde didn't expect me, for she didn't even notice I was standing behind her. She raised her hand with the knife in it, preparing to stab the sleep Ray-Lottie.

"Who are you and what the hell do you think you're doing," I asked furiously. The chick, I shall call her Barbie until further notice, froze. Caught red-handed I should say. And suddenly, Barbie twirled so fast that I didn't even notice until she was looking me directly in the eye. Her eyes were baby blue; almost angelic and a perfect addition to the Barbie outfit. The only thing that didn't fit was the hateful glare. And I still didn't recognize her one least bit.

I felt a great irritation in my gut at this glare. Well, at first it was the glare, but then I realized that the irritation was physical. I frowned at Barbie, and started to look down when she swiped the knife at me. I jumped back just as Barbie punched me in the face. This caused me to slam into the dresser. I had been in a billion fights, but not one person had ever punched me that hard before. I don't think Daviel even punched me, even if he broke my hand.

Nothing broke, though, so I slammed my own fist into Barbie's perfect face. She had been smiling, but now she staggered back a bit. Ray-Lottie had already jumped out of her bed. "What the..." She started, and screamed when Barbie swiped the knife towards her. Just before Barbie would hit Ray, I kicked her legs furiously. She stumbled, but twisted to add a stinging sensation through my leg when the knife made contact through my skin.

"AH!" I bit my lip, and kicked Barbie in the face. She stood up sharply, and I raised my fists threateningly. Her own fists were still gloved, and she gripped the knife just as threateningly. I didn't like this either way. I had completely forgotten about weapons. I had no time to worry about it because Barbie was suddenly swinging the knife at me. She nearly got my neck, but I blocked it with my arms. And then I was being continuously cut with that painful knife on my arms.

Suddenly, Ray-Lottie had grabbed her lamp and slammed it against Barbie's head. The lights went out, but the cuts stopped. It's about time that bitch helped out. I looked around quickly, and grabbed a pair of scissors left on the dresser. Then I turned to stab Barbie when I was slammed back against the closet doors by her. I was going to attempt to... cut her hair or SOMETHING, but --instead-- the scissors dropped from my hands.

I felt a burning numbness starting at my side to add to the pain, and Barbie added to the pressure. I gasped in pain as she said, "Not exactly what I planned, but I guess this will due. You can gladly haunt your dad, now, seeing as if he wasn't so stupid, I wouldn't have come after you." Barbie smiled, revealing her fangs. "And I'll be killing your friend here for extra measure, too." Now comes the point when she stabs me. I closed my eyes in anticipation.

Barbie let go of me out of nowhere, and I heard a loud crash in front of me. I opened my eyes to see Daviel on top of Barbie, but then she kicked him off of her. Without a hesitation, she dived out the now open window. If only MY presence scared people away... besides all those freaks at school. Ray-Lottie looked from me to Daviel. She started to say something, but instead she burst out of her bedroom door. Bye bye, witch.

Daviel was suddenly standing in front of me, frowning. "Wow, thanks," I said, actually thankful that Daviel was here, "If you didn't show up, I would've been stabbed. About five seconds from that happening, actually. But I think she did cut me a couple of times... otherwise, I think I'm all right." And I attempted to smiled reapproachfully at Daviel. Except, it was more like a lazy smile because those cuts must have done a number on me. I couldn't feel a thing on my side... actually...

I started to fall at this thought. Daviel suddenly snatched my arms so that I didn't just collapse on the ground. Instead of thanking him, I actually felt confused. "What's... why am I..." I looked down sharply to see many things. Apparently, those cuts were deep. The blood on my stomach was soaked through my shirt, and the blood from other cuts were slightly visible. But the part that really shocked me was the vision of that knife halfway hidden in my side. The blade had disappeared inside my body. I _had_ been stabbed.

"Oh, God," I coughed, now being blinded by fear. I reached to touch the area around the knife, but Daviel grabbed my hand. This caused me to slide further down towards the ground. Now that Daviel had ahold of my hand, I remembered he was there, and I looked him in the eye. "I..." For some reason I felt a need to explain to him what was happening. "I'm dying. I can't... my side... I'm bleeding..." That sums it up.

Daviel hesitated, but then started to laugh as if he was trying to hold it back. What? WHAT?! Laughing? NOW?! "Okay," he said, "Okay, this will seem funny to you, but your mom actually went through this same thing." ... . ... ... .. . Oh, funny. A real family trait this is. Getting stabbed. "I'm going to pull it out, and you'll pass out I'm sure," Daviel explained, now more serious. I nodded uncertainly, and he wrapped his hands around the hilt of the dagger.

"Ready? One. AH," Daviel automatically let go of the dagger, and I saw that his skin was being burned away. Now he didn't see any humor in this. Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh... Oh, God. "It's a-- a cross knife," Daviel said, stunned. I was now closing my eyes. I was suddenly very tired, and this isn't so fun anymore, so I think I'll just... "OPEN your EYES," Daviel yelled, and I started to, but then I let them down again. Daviel gripped the hilt again, and I heard him hiss at the pain. But then I screamed at the sudden pain of the knife being driven out of my side.

I opened my eyes, stunned, to see Daviel putting the dagger in my pant pocket. He grabbed me bridal style, and started taking me out of the room through the window. I clinched my fists, rubbing my fingers against my ring band. The blood on my hands made my fingers slippery over the cool metal. "How did you know I was there," I muttered as Daviel carried me towards God knows where.

"You're still awake," He asked, surprised. I was about to answer, but as he busted open the front door to my house, I heard mom yell, "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" And I finally fell asleep to Daviel saying, "You're acting just like Jestin did when..." And that was it.

"It's NOT YOURS... it's MINE," I screeched at mom. I was only 6 at the time, but I felt old enough to beat her up if she tried to take this ring away from me. At this point, it was so big that I just put it around my neck than putting it on my finger. Still, no matter how afraid Mom was that I would lose it, I wouldn't give it up. It was mine.

And she suddenly said, "It's in my hand, now." I glared at her to see that the ring had somehow appeared in her hands. I roared furiously, my face becoming red with the rage, and I threw the phone that was close to me on the ground. It broke to peices, but I knocked over the lamp as well.

"Give it BACK," I yelled at her, holding out my hand, and glaring at her ferociously.

"I'll give it back in a couple of years, Ice," Mom said carefully, frowning at the fit I was throwing, "I just want to make sure you won't lose it." She put it in her pocket. SHE'S going to lose it, not ME!

I took in a breath slowly, building the rage in my chest. "I HATE you," I growled.

"No, you don't," Mom stated.

"I HATE YOU," I repeated, "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I'll write it on paper because I HATE you." That's what I always said to make sure she knew I was serious. The 'write it on paper' bit. I had heard it on television, and only used it for when I was completely serious.

"I'm not giving it back until a couple of years," Mom only said, "And if you keep this up, Kip is going to the pound." Kip being our cat at the time. It had been my birthday present, and I loved her with passion. But I was too mad at this moment to care.

"I don't care," I snapped, "I don't care if Kip even dies. You give my ring back, NOW!"

"You do too care if Kip dies."

"I don't. I'll write it on paper because I DON'T care if Kip dies," I declared. Mom sighed.

"Fine, if you write it on paper, it'll become true. I'll make sure everything you write is true," Mom threatened darkly. I stomped into my bedroom, ripping out a piece of paper from my backpack, and stormed back into the living room. I grabbed a pen.

"I'll write it on paper," I snarled defiantly. And I scrawled on the paper 'Kip is dead.'

"NO," Mom shouted, but it was too late. I froze, fear replacing my rage. Mom stated it as a fact, so it would be a fact. And she could do that. I looked at her, and looked down at the sentence. Then I stormed outside towards Kip's hiding place. Once I reached the small hole, I started to look in, but Mom snatched my shoulder to pull me back.

"NO," I screeched in return, "No, he's not dead. I take it back! I don't.. no..." And I started crying because I knew Kip WAS dead for mom to act like this.

"I'm sorry," Mom said, "What you write isn't true, it was an accident. I'm sorry, Sprice." And she placed the golden band in my hand. It only took a couple of days before I was over Kip dying, but not over that memory in my head. For some reason, I figure if I write something, it'll become true and someone will die. Even though mom did take it back.


	21. Chapter 20

Part Twenty:

I think remembering that moment, I realized something. If my kid acted the way I did, I'd beat her until she straightened her act. Why hasn't mom smacked me around? Over here disrespecting constantly, and finding a way to blame her all this time... I swear, I must be the biggest brat kid. Or a demon child. But maybe I do have anger problems. Not even a therapist can fix it.

My dream had ended at that flashback, and now it was nothing. I felt free of everything. As if I had never before busted bottles in people's driveways, spray painted signs to confuse people, bust out street lights in hope that they'd crash, or any of the other things my pack and I did for fun. And now I had never existed. None of the bad things were dragging me down.

And now I could go anywhere I wanted.

I could hear Hope talking to me on my bus, not long after she had converted to Christianity that changed her life. And when she asked my explanation as to why I wasn't... you know... _there_ with God and all, I had merely chanted:

"Dearest Father,

Not a day went by that I didn't think of you.

Not one sin happened within that I didn't ask forgiveness for.

But as I stood on the middle of Earth,

I looked up at Heaven...

I looked down at Hell...

And I decided not to ask anymore.

For now I see that out of my choices...

Hell needs me the most."

Hope automatically had went into the "You're not destined" and "you're too good" stuff to... make me feel better or something. I don't think she understood exactly what that meant. It's all fairly good-heartedness, actually. Well, if I were a nice person, it would be good-heart talking. But I was mainly referring to those good people who didn't worship God.

And what I meant by "hell needs me the most" and referring to good-hearts... I was meaning that if a good person is sent to Hell, then they'd most likely help in making others better, right? A hero-at-heart CAN be sent to Hell... according to "the Bible"... just because they didn't worship the Lord almighty. I can see how THAT'S a sin. I mean, go about the world all nice and no-sin like... but you're sinning because the biggest evil is making people happy with your evil ways of non-worshiping. YOU SHALL BE SMITED... STRUCK BY GODS VERY LIGHTNING! Or is that Zues? Who... cares.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I'm not "there" with God. Because he's just like the rest of those greedy Kings. Bow down, do good, and you shall be living forever. Flapper-boot, I say. And no "but God is Good, so we should worship him" and stuff. How about this... I live, and when I die, I'll worship him. He's nothing but a party pooper... who works in mysterious ways. Once again, flapper-boot... along with a glabber boo boo. And pretititititiko-knocky.

And if it turns out Allah IS God... who cares?! Whoever is whatever, when I die I want to be dead. No worshiping or anything. So Hell for me shall be another life. And Heaven should be nothing. NOTHING. No human souls flapping around like bugs.. just... nothing.

But wait! I'm a half-vampire. Doesn't that mean a straight ticket to Hell?

In that case, wake up, Sprice. WAKE UP. I believe I prefer my previous Hell to whatever Allah, Buddha, God, Zeus, or George Bush has planned for me. Wakey upey. Wake-ith up-ith. Ith... ick. I, o, a, e, i, o, u. Ah, eh, ie, o, euw. Cataplakitacutie, cutie, cutie kitty, kitty. KITTY! Umm...

"I don't wanna go to Hell," I suddenly heard myself mutter, my mouth dry from obvious lack of liquids.

"Well, that's nice to know," I heard the voice of my mom said from above me, "I was wondering for a second there if you were actually Satan's kid and all." I scoffed.

"Don't you ever go to work," I asked, not really annoyed yet.

"Well, I will once you go to school," Mom informed slowly. Oooh, school. I haven't exactly been there for awhile. Hmm, they must not be worried. Probably having a party and dancing to the non-Sprice music. I guess I've got to ruin that celebration, right?

I sat up on my bed to see that no pain appeared. "I thought I got stabbed," I said, only half-way shocked.

"Your dad healed you," Mom started, but added, "And I helped. You got it with a cross-knife, and since Daviel happens to be full vampire, I figured I'd be useful." I think I've now got to accept the fact that my parents aren't insane... and were telling the truth all along.

"Well, what time is it," I asked to break the silence.

Mom glanced at the watch on her wrist, the face being a silver cross with black surrounding it. She stared at it for a moment with a blank expression. I waited a moment, and then Mom said, "It's time to get a digital watch." I snorted.

"Why?"

"It appears that since I've gotten this watch, the colors seem to blend in and make the time seem to disappear," Mom started, "You know... all that good stuff that's used to torture me and trick people into thinking I'm a retard." I laughed. It was Mom's art problem. Apparently, the silver cross and black blendish background seemed to be artistic, and she can't exactly... she's not an artist person. "No need to fear, though," she said with a sigh, "Reality dawg is here."

I watched as mom swipped her hand over the watch. Like a magic trick, once she removed her hand, the watch was now digital. And mom finished with, "It'll be 6a.m." I jumped up quickly, and started sprinting around the room. This'll be around the first time in a bit that I woke up in the morning and not at night. I didn't care that mom was there, just that I needed to get dressed to go to Hope's place quickly.

I slipped on my skater shoes-- the easiest ones to get on that wasn't preppy flip-flops -- and started for the door. Mom was just sitting there, slightly confused. "What could be rushing this one this time," she asked aloud, "Maybe she made a deal with Satan... her new father. Or maybe she's fixing to blow up this house with me in it. OH, I know! She's suppose to be assassinating someone, but now she's late and oh, deary... now she's going to die and upset Satan-daddy."

I bounced on one foot, still slipping on my second skater shoe, over to her. Then I hugged her. "See you later, Mom," I breathed out of all the rush. This shocked her, for I was halfway out the front door before she could reply, "Love you, too." Though... I don't think I said 'love you'. Whatever.

I was sprinting towards Hope's house, abandoning the hope of getting a car-drive there. I used to have the bus drive to my house, but then I decided that was too much of a hassle. All the screaming and me wanting to... ironically... bite each one of them. You know, one of those nice little hate-bites. Just to quiet them down a bit. But I was planning on riding today with Hope.

I bounding up to the bus-stop just down the road to Hope's house to see her whole lot of siblings standing with her. The eight siblings were also combined with three siblings from her neighbors house. All three with blonde hair and blue eyes. As I appeared to gather with the crowd, Hope's younger sisters yipped with happiness and smothered me with their hugs. I happen to be nice to the pack's siblings.

Still, her brothers hang back, not wanting to be girl-ish. But I rub the youngest one's head and shove another playfully... then dodged James before appearing in front of Hope. I looked at her a minute, not even hearing her greeting. Then I smiled brightly. She obviously hasn't been attacked, yet. And she's the one I'm worried about now. The heart of the pack, with her green eyes looking at her siblings with both love and pain. I'd minus the love and pain part and replace it with murder. That many siblings would kill me.

Luckily, my mother isn't a breeder.

And suddenly I was being hugged. For a moment, I just stood there. I'm not a hugging person. Hugs... gah. And I thought Hope knew me. Yet I didn't mind it too much. Not from Hope; my fallen angel out of nowhere.

"What happened to Jason wasn't your fault," Hope said suddenly, now pushing away from me so that nothing got too awkward. "And I know you'll eventually forgive your dad." I hesitated.

"My dad," I asked, for I'm sure I never told her about him. Hope only smiled wisely, her eyes glistening with amusement.

"Like I couldn't tell that that man wasn't your dad," she said sarcastically, "You two have the same exact eyes, and that same manipulative way. I'll bet you two have that anger issue, too." I laughed at this. Of course Hope would notice. She's the one who always knows things about me. "And I think I've figured out your other problem... being a half-vampire." Now I was beyond suspicious.

"How'd you--"

"You told me," Hope said swiftly, "At your welcome back party, and you didn't believe it. I think it's true, though. You've been missing out a lot, and that day your stomach hurt at school? Blood loss? I think you're a half-vampire all right." I glanced at the people waiting for the bus, but the only one looking at me was James... who had a curious look on his face. This is how her family always was. Pretending as if Hope never existed. And the people at school ignored her... and even the pack. I think Candace only talked to her once, and that may have been a fluke.

Hope always just talked to me, and I always talked to her.

"So, are you going to be like Candace and ask me to bite you," I asked curiously.

Hope smiled sweetly, "I don't think there'd be a point in being a vampire. Not for me, at least."

"What's that suppose to mean?" The bus' brakes squealed to a stop, opening up the doors. Hope started for it, lagging behind the rest who looked as if they'd trample over her. She didn't say anything as we climbed into the bus, which was always quiet before the Flowers family showed up. (Flowers being Hope's last name for the memory-loss people.)

The bus driver raised her eyebrows when I entered. "Back again, are you," She asked, probably remembering the last time I rode this bus. I had grabbed a little boy by the back of his shirt, opened the emergency exit door, and thrown him out just when the bus had stopped. I was banned for a year, but that was a year ago. So, I'm pretty sure I'm fine for now.

I smiled sweetly, "I promise no boys will be crapped out of your bus this time." And as I followed Hope into the bus, I muttered, "Just girls." When I took a moment to look at the familiar faces of the bus, I could see the looks of nervousness and mutters of dislike. Apparently, that boy had been liked. That's what he gets for throwing a paper ball at my head.

I sat down, Hope being next to the window. James sat behind us, and started to talk.

Hope suddenly said before he said anything, "Another Prep-rally today." And I realized that I may just see Ray-Lottie today. James went on to talk to me, and I politely ignored every word coming out of his mouth. Eventually, he turned to annoy other people. There was silence between Hope and me.

And then she opened up her backpack. She pulled out a small box, and handed it to me. "I've been having bad feelings lately, so I figured I'd give this to you to cheer myself up," Hope said slowly. She put the box on my lap. I smiled: a present!

I started to open the box, and saw there were two objects inside it. One: a picture of Hope and I. It had been taken at school by Candace. It was a rare thing for Candace to be taking a picture of Hope and I _without_ Ray-Lottie being in the picture. I could see Jason sitting on a bench on the corner of the picture, glaring at someone. I was making a face, and Hope was smiling softly. The lightness of her hair and skin made her look almost as if she were disappearing.

The second object fell onto my hands, making a sharp 'ping' as it collided onto the ring on my thumb. It was a silver heart, a green emerald stone being placed in the middle of it. The chain was balled up around the heart, and I stared at the necklace with amazement.

"It's a wishing necklace," Hope said slowly, "Well, that's what the 'witch' said." Hope had lifted her fingers to put quotes around the word 'witch'. "I went to this one market with 'magic' products, and thought this one was most perfect for you. She said that the wish can only be used at the most ultimate feeling of need. And you don't have to do that 'I wish' part, either. Just want something so bad and it should happen. Plus, someone else can take your wish so be careful."

"How's someone else going to take my wish," I asked skeptically.

Hope shrugged, "That woman just said that it only works by heart, seeing as it's heart-shaped. So I guess for a person to steal it, the heart would have to be on _their_ heart while they make the wish or something. But I think it's just a lucky charm or something." I wondered for a moment if I should hug Hope or something. Then she suddenly said, "You're welcome." As if she was reading my mind.

I put on the necklace, and when it landed over my heart... I could feel a warm pulse. It was as if my heart had brought back this heart necklace, but I just figured it must have been my mind going wacky. But this was the best gift anyone had ever given me.


	22. Chapter 21

Hehe, didn't update yesterday. Thanks for the reviews, you guys! But here's la five more.

Part Twenty-One:

We arrived at the school, and as I exited the bus, I half-expected Candace to walk out of the bus behind ours. Her bus always ended up just behind ours. Still, she didn't because she was still in the hospital. And Jason didn't appear as Hope disappeared down the hall, either. This sent a pange in my stomach, and then Hope was just beside me again in a flash. Almost as if she heard the shock herself.

"I think I'll stay with you for now," Hope said with a bright smile that calmed me down for then.

As we walked outside, I could feel the heat of the sun blow against my cold skin. Yes, I had noticed that my body heat had gone considerably cooler, but it was still slightly warm. And my heart beat was slower than ever, but still beating. My hunger for human food wasn't persistant, but it still could suffice a bit. All this confirmed that I couldn't be _full_ vampire, but _half_ vampire.

Then, I realized something when I sat down at a table with Hope next to me. Not one person was looking at me. It was as if I had become Hope; invisible. I had to think a moment about this. Apparently, they must be thinking: 'Oh, gee, there's Sprice. No longer in a bad-ass gang, seeing as one is in the hospital, another dead, and another higher up on the popular chain. Sprice is alone... therefore now a loner.' Maybe I should have stuck with making more friends instead of being picky with them.

I turned to look at Hope, who was already staring at me curiously. "I guess it's just you and me," I said slowly, "Which is kinda sad, seeing as you won't help cause any trouble anymore." She laughed, and I could recognize that it wasn't a pained laugh. Her green eyes weren't pained anymore. It was as if once things started going wrong in my world, she was my wall to lean on instead of me being her wall to lean on.

"Well, maybe we don't need to cause trouble," Hope stated, "You just concentrate on getting your grades up, and start getting school spirit a bit." I made a face.

"_You're_ not showing school spirit," I accused. I wasn't even sure what the school spirit thing was today. Hope shook her head, and grabbed the front of her shirt. There was the grim reaper in a black cloak, and the shirt being white. Then Hope moved her legs to show black paints.

"School colors," Hope said shortly, "Black and white, so I'm already showing school spirit in order to help you start to recover from your problems." I sighed. I was wearing black, but the white wasn't anywhere. Hope waited a moment, and then grabbed the white cap on her head with the words 'God is Good' in black on it. She placed it on my head.

"Easy," I said with a smirk, "And people are going to find THAT funny."

"Yeah, maybe we need to add something else," Hope stated. She stared at me for a moment, and then shifted through her purse. She pulled out red lipstick, and I scooted my chair out of range. "C'mon, It'll be cool," Hope said, pouting and pleading, "Do it for me."

"Fine," I muttered relunctantly, but scooted my chair closer. She took a moment, and used eyeliner for writing something on my nose. Then, she pulled out a mirror to let me see my face. I had to laugh. On my forehead, in blood red, was 'Reapers'. Then, on my right cheek was 'Killed', on my nose with eyeliner was 'the' vertically, and on my left cheek was 'Cats'. Apparently, we were going against the Cats.

"Curiousity killed the cat," I stated in approval, "Reapers killed the Cats. Funny." And I felt in a considerably better mood as I went to my classes. They were shortened because of the Prep-rally... originally known as Pep-Rallys, but Candace had stamped the prep-rally bit into my head long ago. Now it slipped out as an accident. I could remember the last time, and how I saw Ray-lottie prancing like a preppy cheerleader. The rally proved itself to be preppy.

It was during 9th grade English, in which we were learning points of view (where I had to explain to the teacher what second person point of view was amazingly), that the vice-principal's voice came on over the intercom like it always did.

First, she explained what grades went where in the gym. "Once you get inside the gym, you are to go to _your_ grade area, not anybody else's. You're to behave like appropriate human beings. This includes not throwing each other into the air. Those are for cheerleaders to do ONLY. No walking onto the gym floor unless your are a cheerleader, band-member, or are in the drill team. No coming up with your own chants, either. Also, you are to stand up at all times, unless ordered to sit down. No pushing each other off the bleachers. Cheer loudly for your school. If you break any rules, you will be banned from pep-rallys from here on."

At the last sentence, I left it in my mind to break a rule. Or all of them. I'm sure I'll have fun by pushing people off the bleachers by kicking them because I'll be sitting down and NOT cheering. If all else fails, I prance into the group of cheerleaders, throwing someone into the air, while yelling obsenities... though that may just get me expelled. In that case, I'll come up with a chant like "L-A-M-E... what's that spell? Lame! G-A-M-E... what's that spell? Game! B-O-O-O... what's that mean? Reaper's games are lame. Yay!!"

The end-of-class bell rang, and I started out the door before the rest of them. I had to slip into the Junior area before anyone spotted me, or I might not spot Hope before I'll be kicked out. Forever banned from prep-rallies... what a miracle that would be. I shoved my way past the crowds, heading towards the Junior's side. And as I entered the gym, I was suddenly surrounded by the aroma of cheer-preps.

I hesitated for only one reason. I could hear Ray-Lottie's voice through the crowd, seeing as everyone was only just entering. I felt someone grab my arm, and I turned to see Hope standing there. Her eyes were wide with concern, both afraid and curious. I glanced at the cheerleader group, but followed Hope to the Junior group.

As I walked away from the group, it was as if I had left my ear there next to them. They weren't getting harder to hear, but Ray-Lottie was getting easier to hear. It was as if I had blocked every noise around me to concentrate on her voice. Mainly because I had heard my name being mentioned on her lips. What would she be saying about me after I got stabbed for her.

"So, she enters my house," Ray-Lottie's now clear voice said from the gym floor, only heard by the cheerleaders and me, "And she's hiding in my _closet_." There was a burst of laughter from the other girls, but I ignored them. "After a moment, when I'm trying to sleep, she bursts out of the closet with a KNIFE! And she starts acting as if she's going to kill me!"

"Oh, God, she's insane," Kate Lorey's voice of authority said in that 'oh, that's icky' voice.

"Yeah," Ray-Lottie said, her voice filled with venom, "But what's insane is that she pretends to stab herself. I guess she had some sort of blood-looking stuff with her because I had to clean up my floor after that mess." She scoffs.

"What'd you do after she pretended to stab herself," another girl asks, apparently interested in this rumor. Yes, a rumor, because I didn't do anything of that sort. Apparently, Ray-Lottie had talked herself out of seeing a third girl there.

"I left," Ray-Lottie stated, "I ran out of that room, ready to call the cops, but apparently that bit was enough because when I came back there was just blood on the floor." There were disgusted noises around the group, and I saw that a couple glanced in the crowds to try to spot me most likely. People were filing through the doors more, now, so that was a futile effort.

"But I think she's insane," Ray-Lottie considered, "Because I think if I'd stayed, she would have killed me. Just like she almost killed that Candace girl... and I'll bet she _did_ kill that gay friend of hers. Which would be a good thing because he did us all a favor by dying." She acts as if she never met them before. She acts as if I would DO such a thing. And now they were spreading apart into their cheering formation. The band's drums making a beat for the next cheer-dance.

I was more angry than ever, and Hope was still holding onto my arm. "Just forget about her," Hope said, her voice colliding with the same voice that was in the back of my head in unison, "She's nothing. She'll pay one day, but you don't need to hurt her." I didn't even care that it seemed as if Hope had heard Ray-Lottie, too. Though, I'm sure she was just seeing how I looked at Ray-Lottie at this moment.

"Then again, she'll deserve it," Hope sneered, that old anger in her voice all the sudden. And it was as if she were the voices in my head, colliding with me to make a decision. "All you did for her was everything you could, and now she's acting as if you're nothing," she continued, and I felt the words add more rage to my body. "Still, you could get in trouble," Hope started, "But, then again, after those times you got arrested and stuck up for her... she hates you." And those last three words did it.

I stormed past the screaming in support people, and broke onto the floor of the gym. I stormed onto the court before the teachers could spot any rule-breaking. I snarled, adding to the glare, as I approached Ray-Lottie, who no longer was cheering. She glared at me with distaste. She opened her mouth to say something that would probably be something like 'you wouldn't even' or something.

But before one sound came out, my fist had collided into her eye. It had happened so fast that Ray-Lottie fell back, and as her she flung onto her back, her head collided with at a loud 'thump' on the gym floor. And then there was complete silence in the gym. Ray-Lottie laid on the ground, completely knocked-out. I continued to stand over her, my posture calm, and my breath even. Then I looked around at the crowds of students.

They all were staring at me with awe, and I realized how strange it was to see a person who cared for a friend for so long to just suddenly knock her out. Especially after one friend is dead and the other in a coma. Now another was down, unconscious. I glanced where Hope should be, and saw she was gone. It was as if time had went still. And I found that I didn't miss Ray-Lottie at all; didn't feel the need for anymore revenge. Now I felt a need to have Hope around.

And suddenly, someone screamed, "GO SPRICE!!!" Then there was a roar around the four grades of students, all showing more spirit towards this punch than the other cheerleaders had ever gotten out of them. Mainly because all those cheering would be the massive amounts of losers who had been sitting, completely tortured by the prep-rally. All of them loathing the thought of cheerleaders and every other prep. It was as if I had just saved the world from destruction.

Just as the teachers were rushing towards me, I turned to see Kate Lorey staring at me with horror. And, with the roaring of approval from all these students behind me, I grabbed Kate's shoulders and slammed my knee into her gut. There was a louder roar at this, and I was smiling as I raised my fists up to threaten the teachers surrounding me. I could see them trying to calm me down, but they were drowned out by the screaming teenagers.

I opened my fists to show surrender, though, for those teachers never did anything to make me want to punch them a good one. Two teachers grabbed my arms, others screaming at the students that this was NOT funny, and some trying to help the two injured cheerleaders to the nurse. And as I was being dragged out of the gym, groups of teenagers were pouring out of the bleachers, trying to help cause a ruckus. I suddenly realized that I was probably in more trouble than neccesary.

I was shoved into a seat in the office, but not for long before Coach Hoyt bursted through the door. He pointed his fat sausage of a finger at me. "_Miss Orome_," He snarled furiously.

"Yes, Mrs. Hoyt?"

There was definite tension for a moment. "My office, NOW," he snapped, and started wabbling back towards his office. I could see that the office women were calling over the intercom for more help within the gym. Apparently, I had caused a revolution. Best prep-rally ever, I'm sure.

"Sure, as long as you can fit through the door," I continued to taunt C. Hoyt, but he only ignored me. I figured I'm expelled anyways. Might as well go on to insult the principal at any point. I followed him into his office, but we both didn't sit down. He stormed over to his desk, pulling out papers. And then he was calling someone.

"Hello," Hoyt said into the phone, "Is Mrs. Orome there?" Mrs. Hoyt has already known my mother on first name bases, but apparently she didn't answer the phone. There was a moment of silence on Hoyt's part. "Oh, so you're Mr. Orome?" A short silence. "Well, I didn't know Sprice Orome had a father." More silence. "So you're more feared than her mother?" I scoffed. I was assuming that Hoyt was talking to Daviel, and so I must add 'he wishes'.

"Well, seeing as this may be a new thing for you, I'll have you know that your daughter, Sprice Orome, has just caused a school-wide domestic disturbance within two minutes," Hoyt said with clear annoyance. I laughed extremely loudly, adding an annoyed venom in the cackle. Hoyt said, "Hold on." And glared at me. "What's. So. Funny?"

"Domestic disturbance, Mrs. Hoyt?" I laughed some more. "Don't you mean 'destruction of peace' or something? Because I believe I haven't disturbed any of my 'spouses' or 'boyfriends' within the whole school, seeing as it seems you've confused what I did with domestic violence." And I continued to laugh at the stupid face Hoyt made. This should make it clear to Daviel that I don't care if I'm in trouble, seeing as I was laughing loud enough for him to hear over the phone.

"Anyways," Hoyt continued into the school, "She apparently assaulted a..." He glanced at the sheet of paper in front of him. "Miss Kinders and a Miss Lorey, both members of the cheerleading squad." Another moment of silence. "It appeared to be for no reason." I scoffed again. Hoyt went on to say, "And now the whole school is in an uproar in the gym as we speak, so we need either you or Mrs. Orome to pick up Sprice. She'll be expelled, most li--" Hoyt was interupted.

"She..." Hoyt's voice faltered for a moment. "But she broke valuable rules again and again, Mr. Orome!" And I could hear Daviel's voice get louder within the phone. "Well... yes... of course we've only suspened her each time she's punched someone, but this time--" Hoyt was silent again, wincing at the roar of Daviel saying, "SUSPEND HER AGAIN!" And then he continued in a quieter voice.

"Okay, we'll do that," Hoyt gave in after a moment. Then he hung up. He glared at me. "Well, you may only be suspended from here, but I'm sure your father will know what to do by the sound of it," he snarled, "Go to the office to wait." I gladly obliged. I already punched two people today... Daviel will be nothing.


	23. Chapter 22

Part Twenty-Two:

I sat down in the chair, smiling at Mrs. Jackson while doing so. "In trouble again, Sprice," she said sweetly, seeing as the evil-office lady was missing at this point. I shrugged. "Well, you did a much better job at it this time," Mrs. Jackson continued, "They've locked down the gym, and the girl you knocked out is going to the hospital, now. The other one is fine, though. So, what do you get this time?"

I was no longer smiling. I was curious as to where Hope was. Maybe she ran out of the gym before they locked it up. But I pulled my attention to Mrs. Jackson, "Suspension until further notice." I hesitated, but added, "And, if I'm correct, I think you'll be meeting my father for the first time." But I couldn't be sure about that. The sun was still shining brightly in the sky, so I doubt Daviel will show up.

"And why'd you do it this time," Mrs. Jackson asked sympathetically. She knew I always had a reason for my actions. I'm not that hard to figure out, if you think about it. I'm a teenage girl with anger issues, but morals none-the-less.

I had to think a moment on whether I should tell her or not. "My best friend betrayed me, and I didn't realize it until today that I was being soft on her," I stated shortly, "And then I figured I'd be expelled anyways, so I just took Kate Lorey out while I was at it. She always annoyed me, so it was a bonus." Mrs. Jackson sighed, but went silent for the evil office lady had returned.

"It's people like you who make me want to kill myself," the evil lady snapped at me shortly.

"And it's people like you who make me hope you'll kill yourself," I replied sweetly, hiding the immense dislike behind an innocent face. Before she could reply, a figure slipped into the office. The person was awfully tall, and was wearing a long, hooded trench coat that covered their face included. The thick, black boots and leather gloves led me to believe it would be Daviel.

As that person walked towards the office ladies, he slid the hood off his head and slipped the gloves to his pockets. Of course, Daviel's face smiled at the ladies with the same innocent look I had given them. And automatically, Mrs. Jackson said, "Oh my, you _must_ be Sprice's father." She pointed at me, and as Daviel glanced at me, his eyes glared in annoyance. This being directed at me, of course.

"That I would be, so where do I sign," he asked, and the evil lady quickly shoved a sign-out sheet to Daviel. Apparently, she liked him better than she liked me.

When he wrote down his name, he continued to shoot annoyed glances at me. Then, Mrs. Jackson said, "Daviel?" But of course she mis-pronounced it. Saying 'Day-vel' instead of 'Dah-V-L', but Daviel only nodded. I could see how she'd mis-pronounce it, seeing as if you added 'd' to replace the 'el', it'd be David. Oh well, so he's weird.

Then I was heading wherever inside the car with a hooded vampire driving the car. I stared at him the whole time, ignoring the sun irritating my own skin. At least I could withstand it. Unlike Mr. Coat-and-dagger over there. There was just silence in the car, and I started my habit of rotating the over-sized, golden band on my thumb. I was wondering when Daviel was going to snap.

He suddenly said out of nowhere, "So, when are you planning on giving it back to me?" ... And now I'm completely off track. Maybe he was doing that thing I can do... where you talk to someone in your head, but then in the middle of the conversation, you voice your thoughts. But Daviel didn't clear anything up, just waited for me to reply.

"Giving... what back," I asked. His dignity? Pride for his daughter? Blood I drained from him? I don't know... his fatherhood? Though, if I went by what my theory was, I'm sure he's breeded long ago. Still, I only stared at him in confusion.

"My ring," Daviel stated, taking his gloved hand off the wheel to point at the over-sized ring on my thumb finger. "My wedding ring, to be exact." And it hit me right then and there. I stopped playing with the ring, and starred at it with a frown. I could remember Mom trying to take it from me. She was planning on giving it back, and that's why she didn't want me to lose it. Of course! She even had a replica, only smaller, on her own left ring finger! And this ring has always been too big to be mine, so it's only right that it'd be Daviel's. Most likely, I must have stolen it before he left.

"Oh," I said, "I didn't know it was yours." I never knew why I had protected it so furiously. Why I had made sure my whole life that it was always with me. Why I cared for it so much, but now I knew. It's because, in the back of my mind, it was the only object I had that had belonged to Daviel. So I took it off my thumb, and held it out to Daviel like a respectable theif who got caught red-handed should do. "Sorry I stole it from you," I apologized sheepishly.

I felt awfully sad about giving it up. It was the only jewelry I had kept on me since before I could remember, and now it's gone in a single move. But Daviel glanced at me, his face slightly shocked under his hood. "You didn't steal it from me," he said in surprise.

"What?" My hand lowered slightly in confusion.

"I gave it to you, remember," he asked, now sounding amused, "Remember how I took it off, and put it in on your own thumb, there. And I even said 'You keep this ring for me until--'"

I interupted, hearing the words in the back of my head. "Until you come back." And we were parked in the driveway to my house. I hesitated, but lifted my hand up again, palm open so that the ring could be seen. "And you're back, right? So here you go." After a moment of no movement, I snatched Daviel's hand myself, and placed the ring in his hand. "It's not that hard of a thing to do," I muttered, leaving the car before he could say anything else.

Tender moments make me sick.

Mylia rubbed her hands together, completely excited and proud about herself. Well, kind of. Ryen was pacing in front of her, still pondering over the words of Mylia's tale. How she had gone to the young Orome's friend's house, and nearly killed her friend. Instead, she had successfully stabbled that young Orome with a cross-dagger. Definite killer, there.

But then HE had to show up. That monster who had killed the people both Mylia AND Ryen loved since before Daviel had been turned. Mylia had paid him back, though, by taking the young Orome's life. It was totally worth it.

Ryen wasn't celebrating, and this faltered Mylia's giddiness. She frowned, her blue eyes watching Ryen's identical blue eyes... which were staring at his feet with deep thought. Apparently, he must not be thinking along the same lines, or maybe he has noticed something she hadn't. Whatever it was, Mylia was wanting to know because he was killing her with the silence. And if he didn't say anything soon, Mylia would have to kill him.

Not that she'd actually do such a thing. Ryen was her brother, and she loved him as much as she hated the Oromes. It was just a figure of speech.

And Ryen said, "You're wrong, My."

This infuriated her as she snapped, "I am NOT. I stabbed her, and even that can kill a halfy." Half-vampires disgusted Mylia. They were posers, and deserved to die. Which Mylia was _sure_ that had happened to Sprice Orome. So being told she was wrong was upsetting.

"I saw her leave to school today," Ryen said calmly, "You didn't kill the young Orome, Daviel Orome, or even her friend." Mylia felt the rage pulse through her dead veins. "And that wasn't her friend, anyways. They had a fight. You got that wrong as well." It was as if Ryen were mocking her, but his eyes said that these were just simply facts being told as it is.

So Mylia was calm slightly when she said, "Then why'd she come to rescue that girl if that girl wasn't her friend?"

"She's a halfy... they have a conscience," Ryen replied simply, "What you need to do is go after her last friend." Ryen raised a brow at Mylia's face of annoyance. "Getting tired of your chase, yet?" But that's not what annoyed Mylia.

"Her last friend is in the hospital," Mylia snarled, "She's probably going to die in her coma anyways, so why go after her? It won't be anymore harm on the Oromes, so I _should_ be going after Sprice." And now Mylia raised a brow at Ryen's face of annoyance. "Getting attached to the target, Ry?"

Ryen scoffed. "I don't even care about her, but you're making another mistake, My. You don't even know the people in the pack." And now Mylia was beyond furious.

"I DO," Mylia screeched furiously, "I watched her more than you did. You just listened to her stories. There's the dark-haired girl, Candace, who is now in a coma. The homosexual, Jason, who is dead. And then there's the girly one, Ray something, who is probably scared out of her wits now."

"And one more," Ryen snapped for the first time. But Mylia wasn't annoyed or angry... she was confused.

"No, there isn't," she stated incrediously.

"There is. Sprice said so herself. Her name's Hope. The sweet one of the group," Ryen argued, "You should have noticed her because Sprice hangs out with her the most, now." Mylia narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"She's been hanging out by herself, now, Ryen James," Mylia argued back, "There's no other friend, and I think you're just trying to distract me from your lovely halfy." Mylia started for the entrance of the cave.

Ryen grabbed her arm. "Mylia Larie, go after Hope first. She has a lot of brothers and sisters, and her last name is Flowers. Go after her before you go after Sprice so that she'll be completely alone, and it'll be the best revenge we'll ever get on the Oromes." The sincerity in his voice led Mylia to automatic belief.

"Fine," Mylia agreed, "Hope Flowers and then Sprice Orome." And Mylia smiled reassuringly before disappearing out into the night.

I didn't wince, even when mom practically tried to rip the skin off my head. Pain just wasn't something to worry about now-a-days. But by the way that mom kept hesitating, I was assuming she was the one wincing. I normally would protest anyways, but she felt in the mood to mess with my hair. Whatever keeps her afloat, I say.

After a moment of torture on mom's part, numbness on my part, she said, "This is more Daviel's area than mine. I can't ever be gentle... but I don't think he ever was, either." I scoffed.

"Daviel's area is braiding hair," I asked, for mom was french braiding my hair, "Are you sure he isn't gay or something? Maybe the reason he ran off is to further investigate his inner feelings of love for other men's --"

"Sprice," Mom interupted, and I merely smiled. "And I believe he's not gay. Well, I hope because that would be just... wrong." She continued the continuous pulling and tugging of my hair. More silence to fill in this space. And then mom said, "Doesn't this hurt?"

"No," I replied slowly, "Guess I don't have a tender head."

"So, who'd you hit again," Mom asked after continuing on french braiding my hair. She no longer winced after my tender head statement. I think she had realized I'm a half-vampire, but a vampire none-the-less. But back to her question. There was no 'again'... for I hadn't told mom who went down.

"Ray-Lottie," I said, "And then Kate Lorey." This always made me smile. And I had gotten away pretty good with only an x amount of days of suspension. No school rocks. You'd figure they would find that I hated the International Space Station more than school itself, seeing as all you do is stare. Actually, I can't tell if I hate I.S.S. or school more. Hmmm... nope, it's too hard a choice.

There was another pause, in which I'm sure mom was thinking something sarcastic, before she said, "... Isn't Ray-Lottie your friend?" I scoffed.

"No, and if she was, I doubt we are now," I stated sarcastically. "And I gave Daviel back his ring. Why didn't you tell me it was his?" Mom hesitated at this, which I'm not sure why seeing as it's just a question. Then again, she might be thinking that I'm a ticking time-bomb ready to go off into my brattiness of teenage years any minute now.

"Well, I kind of thought you knew," Mom started, saying her words carefully, "You sure kept ahold of it as if you knew." Well, not exactly, but I guess in the back of my head I knew. Maybe Hope kind of knew because she had mention long ago that it was a pretty wedding ring, and then she'd asked why my dad wasn't wearing it. But I didn't actually pay attention to that part... instead I told her why my Dad wasn't around to wear any ring.

"Why did he leave," I asked, suddenly changing the subject in that way I can. See? I was having a mental conversation, and voiced a question. It's simple, but I guess Mom must do the same thing. How do I know this? Because she seemed to know what I was asking.

"I think that's something you need to ask him," Mom replied, sighing softly, "I think you'd understand better if it came from him instead of me." But I made a face.

"Aw, come on," I pleaded, "I don't want to ask him. You tell me, and I'll understand. PLEASE!" I could imagine it now. Walking up to Daviel and act all 'Yo, Daviel, why'd you leave?'. Nope, asking people I don't like things isn't my thing.

Mom had laughed. "I don't see why you two don't get along. You've got too much in common, if you ask me."

"Mom," I started, trying to keep the rage on a minimum, "The first time I talked to him, instead of apologizing for leaving... he said he didn't care if I hated him. Then acted as if coming back was all about business. Nothing personal. _I'm_ not going to ask him anything, unless it's for him to make like a cow and mooooove." Which I totally should just for the fun of it.

"And yet you have way too much in common with me, too," Mom muttered after the last remark, "Well, when you're tortured with that question, I'm sure it'll slip out eventually." And that's when I got a thought in my head. I pulled away from mom, and turned to look at her, my brows colliding in confusion.

"How long is he staying," I asked, the answer to that seeming disasterous.

Mom definitely hesitated. "Weeeelll," she said, "From what I know, he's not leaving." I groaned loudly.

"But Mom," my voice pleaded to a higher note on the word 'mom', "Tell him to go away."

"No way," Mom stated, her voice sounding more like mine at that moment, "If you've got problems with Daviel, _you_ suffer. Besides, it's making Daviel happy to see how much he tortures you by being around. You should hear the stories."

I opened my mouth in shock. "But he broke my hand!!"

"Pfft. Who needs a hand?"

"Aw, flooberglaster you."

"Well, flopplygoop on you."

"Blah-humbug."

"Burger-meyster."

"Gabloot."

"Abooga."

"Fine," I said, "He can stay."


	24. Chapter 23

Part Twenty-Three:

For the first time in my life, I decided to call Hope. Yes, the first time. I've never called her. If ever I wanted to talk to her, she'd just suddenly be there... or I'd go to her house and she'd be there. But now I was stuck at home (both Mom _and_ Daviel thought it'd be best), and I needed to see what happened to Hope at the gym. Plus, I think I want to go to the theater.

It's that gut feeling I get if I'm away from the movies for more than two weeks. I tell you, the theater is my second home. Movies rock. But I never usually go alone. Where's the fun in that? And I'd have to sneak in because I'm banned from the town Theater after that last incident.

I had to look up Hope's number in the back of my address book in my backpack. I knew I wrote it down after asking James, for Hope hadn't been there that day. And as I flicked through the numbers of each of the members of the pack... including some other people who had felt the need to fill in the blank spaces with a waste of ink... I saw Hope's number just under Candace's. It was in my handwriting, though shaky and scribbled because I had been in a hurry as the bus was stopping.

I grabbed the phone, glancing towards the kitchen where Mom and Daviel were sitting. He had ahold of her hand... gross. I concentrated on dialing the scribbled number under 'Hope'. When it was ringing, I never hung up. I mean, sure it was on the fifteenth ring (seeing as they had no answering machine), but this was the Flower's we're talking about. I know from experience that they must be searching under couches and _everything_ for the source of the phone ringing.

Sure enough, on the ... 27th or so ring (I stopped counting), a girl's voice got on the phone. "Hello... Flowers residence, Love Flowers speaking," I heard Hope's mother say. Lucky me, seeing as if it was James, it'd take a day and a half to get Hope on. I don't usually talk to "Love" anyways, and if you can't tell... they're still big on the hippy ways. I think James was named after his grandfather, which would excuse the normality of his name. I can't even remember Hope's sister's and brother's names. I think... one is... Sun... Daisy... and all that mess. I'm not sure. Faith?

"Hello, this is Sprice," I said slowly into the phone.

"You'll want to talk to James, then," Mrs. Flowers said sweetly.

I quickly said, "NO... I mean, I was wondering if Hope is there?" There was a pause. A looooong pause.

"Is this a joke," Mrs. Flowers asked, suddenly not sounding so sweet.

"No, I was hoping to see Hope," I continued. There was some muttering in the background, but I couldn't quite focus on it.

"Well, look elsewhere for hope, we're too busy to listen to this crap," A man's voice -- most likely Mr. Flowers -- said before hanging up. I looked at the phone. What a jerk... stupid hippy. And I hung it up against the wall. I guess there's no movie for me.

I glanced at Daviel, who had all eyes on Mom... he can go bleed on Christ for all I care. And then I headed off for my room. Booooooredom sucks, it really really sucks. I just stared at the wall for a moment. Then it hit me. What am I doing being a good girl and staying home? I should be at Hope's house right now, getting them to tell me what's up.

So, I naturally took the honor of sneaking out my bedroom window. Apparently, Mr. Vampire-Guy is too busy with Mrs. It to hear Lil' miss Troublemaker making trouble. I stepped out onto the ground, the grass misty with the reflection of the street light. It hadn't been cut in forever, and dead tree leaves left brown crumples within the thick green ocean. I walked through the grass as if it was filled with invisible bombs ready to explode with the lightest touch.

Why was I being so careful _this_ time? Simple, actually. It would be because there was a vampire with very sensative ears within the house. Just as I got to the very edge of my wonderful yard, just when I thought the coast was clear from detection, I did the most... dumbest... most retarded...est... clumsiest move ever known to me, everyone who knew me, and most likely vampire kind.

I tripped.

I'm serious. I literally tripped over some invisible force, and landed half on the soft, cushioned grass and half on the not-so-cushioned, solid sidewalk. I felt the friction burn the side of my face; the landing sounded in my ears like a mine bomb itself. So, I figured it was no use and groaned in rage towards myself. I rolled over, expecting Daviel to be standing just above me with that triumphant, stupid smile of his saying something like, "Gee, that was some golly landin' you made ther', Spricey." ... okay, not that in literate terms. More like "So... where did you think you were going? Earth's core?" Yeah, that sounds more like Daviel.

But there was nobody standing over me. In fact, I don't think anybody heard me. Which is a surprise to me, but what a way to keep me afloat! I shoved myself up, and started towards Hope's house. I seemed to be getting loads of excercise concerning walking, but I didn't mind too much. Though, I know the moment I drag Hope from that house of hers, we're going to McDonalds to get some french fries because I... am... hungry. Maybe a Big Mac or a Sundae to go along with it. But a nice bit of McNuggets would do, too...

I spent my time towards Hope's house thinking of all the things I would eat. First from McDonalds, then Arby's, and soon to each fast food joint I liked to go to. And in no time, I was at the trailer park of Hope Love Flowers in the heat of the night. (Which it's actually kind of cool. And I like cool nights because then I'm not suffocating.)

God, I think I'll get a burrito or something from Taco Bell.

I bounded up to Hope's trailer, and listened for a moment. Most of the people within the trailer was asleep, seeing as there was no way that EVERYbody in that family would be asleep at one time. If Mrs. or Mr. Flowers answers, I'll just ask for James seeing as he doesn't get snappy with me when it comes to Hope. With that thought clearly planned in my head, I tapped on the door. I didn't want to wake up the whole trailer.

It took a couple of taps, but-- finally-- the door opened to reveal James in baggy blue jeans without a shirt. He seemed uncomfortable all of the sudden, but no need. I don't have a thing for _James_. "Hey," James said quietly, now leaning on the frame of the door and curious. "What brings you here so late?"

"I tried calling for Hope," I hissed just as quietly, "But your parents went insane on me. Where is she?"

James sighed, and stepped back into the trailer. Well, I'm glad someone around here is going to go get my only conscious friend. But instead of Hope appearing at the doorway, James came back. This time with a shirt on and pulling on his shoes. He stepped out of the trailer without tying his shoes. Now I was confused.

"Let's go for a walk," James said, grabbing my arm. O...kay? I followed him out of the trailer park, and he still didn't talk. So we walked in silence for a while, until I was starting to really... really worry about the where abouts of Hope. Somebody better tell me or it's going to get ugly.

"Where's Hope," I asked after minutes of torture. Now we were walking on the sidewalk of the road. It was leading to downtown Reaper. James sighed again, seeming very tired. This must not be good news, then.

"Sprice," James said slowly, "There is no Hope here."

Just as I thought. The stupid barbie bitch has kidnapped my last, closest friend. I glared at the ground furiously. How long do I have to save her? HOW am I going to save her?! I don't even know where to go or anything! And why am I so hungry?

I stopped just as we reached downtown, and turned to look at James. "I'm sorry about Hope," I said respectfully, but James only looked at me with concern. He tilted his head, and suddenly my gaze was on... his neck. James wasn't bleeding, but that wasn't the point. I could smell it in him. I could see the veins pulsing under his neck, calling for my hunger. I could feel his warmth.

I stepped forward and hugged James. There was definite hesitation, seeing as I never hug people, but then he accepted it and hugged me as well. I had my ear pressed against his chest, listening to that delicious heart of his pumping that heavenly essence. It would be better than ever, warmer than from a vampire's vein or an I.V. I let my fangs form in my mouth, and turned my head slowly so I wouldn't startle him. It was as if everything had been driven out of my mind except for breaking that weak barrier between me and James' blood.

When I was facing his neck, I lightly pressed my lips over his skin. I could feel his shudder of enjoyment, but what I enjoyed was the rush of blood just below my mouth. And then I couldn't take it anymore. I opened my mouth wide enough for my fangs to inject through his skin. I moved my head back like a snake, and then struck.

Suddenly, a fist slammed against James' head, blocking his neck with an arm. I didn't have time to see it coming, so -- on accident -- I dug my fangs into that arm. Automatically, I pulled off the arm, seeing as I was expecting warm, _human_ blood. And this blood was cold... vampire blood. Now I was pissed. My blood had been taken away by some other vampire jerk! Well, not technically... just knocked out.

I turned to attack whoever it was that had stopped me, but came face to face with Daviel. Though my eyes swam blood red for the lusting of blood, his were still a cool black... with the sparkles of red as well. So he wasn't trying to eat my food; just keeping ME from eating my food. What a jerk. Can't he go bother someone else for awhile?

I turned to go after James, who hadn't moved from his unconscious position. I preferred him awake, but whatever. Just as I turned, though, Daviel was in front of me again. I paused, rage leaking through me like knives.

I took a deep breath. "Get out of my way," I growled, narrowing my eyes.

Daviel wasn't moving, though. "I know what you're thinking right now, Sprice," He said. Yeah, because you can read minds. "You're thinking that I'm just some vampire blocking you're food." True that, true that. "But you're thinking like a vampire, Sprice." I am a vampire. "You need to think like a human, here."

"Get out of my WAY," I snarled furiously.

"Bleeding Christ," Daviel muttered. That sounds tasty. "Listen! This is your friend, Sprice, not some meat with blood in it," he continued, pointing at my food. "James. This is James, not food. They aren't cattle. They have lives, and you're a half vampire. You know what that means?" You didn't breed with another vampire, big deal. "It means that you'll feel the hangover, Sprice!" I hesitated. "Once you kill him, you'll wake up tomorrow, and it won't be about the fact that you had food. It'll be the fact that you killed your friend. It'll be your conscience. Because you're a half vampire; you're a half _human_."

I blinked, trying to look away from my food. James. Trying to look away from James. The guy I've known for years. His favorite color is red, and he wants to fix cars for a living. He's 17, working at a car shop for volunteer work. He's the oldest of all his siblings, and he loves them all no matter how mean he is to them. He's JAMES, not food. What is _wrong_ with me?!

I sat down on the ground, leaning against the nearest wall, covering my face with my hands, and bending my knees up to my chest. "I'm a monster," I moaned, "I nearly killed Jamesy." There was silence for a moment.

Then Daviel said, "Well, let's get 'Jamesy' back to his house. Maybe he'll think it was all a dream... though you didn't show your fangs to him, luckily. And I don't think he saw your eyes." I looked at Daviel to see him picking up the unconscious James. Better unconscious than dead.

I followed Daviel back to James' trailer. Then I waited while he somehow snuck as quiet as a mouse into James' house to put him on the couch. I could still feel the hunger within me, and it caused every sense in me to highten. I could hear every pulse of every full human around me. In every house, I could imagine people lined up; their skin a flimsy paper over their nector of life. But it only made me feel sick.

Daviel appeared in front of me, and just looked at me for a moment. It could be that he was checking to make sure I hadn't gone back into my vampire state. I... I don't think I like being in that state anymore. Well, I can't say I ever did like that state, seeing as I don't remember being in that position before that James incident.

It took me a moment to realize that Daviel was now pacing back and forth in front of me. He started muttering stuff of sorts so that I tilted my head slightly... just so I could hear him right. But the moment I did that, he stopped muttering. Instead, Daviel looked up.

"We could go to the hospital," He suggested slowly. I groaned. "Right... yeah, that won't teach you anything for the future." Whatever. I just don't think I want to go to that place anymore. "But you're not going to hunt like a full vampire. You'll feel the consequence... so maybe the best bet would be the Givers."

That didn't make sense to me, but Daviel was already started off down the road without me. For a moment, I stood there. It was like I was sliding glasses on and off my eyes. Without them, I could see clearly. With them... well, I turned towards James house, ready to finish the job. It's not like Daviel would notice. He's already forgotte--

"Don't even think about it," Daviel growled, grabbing my arm. He pulled me after him, and I noticed that this time he hadn't brought a car. Which can't be too weird, seeing as he IS a "vampire". Vampires don't normally need cars, so I guess it'd just be a luxury. But it is weird how he happened to show up just as I was nearly killing James.

"How'd you know where I was," I asked, trying to focus on my questions instead of on the hunger pains that were taunting my teeth to sharpen. I had to _focus_ or I might make a mistake I'll regret in the morning.

"I followed you," Daviel muttered as if it were completely obvious, "What? Did you think I wouldn't hear your train wrecking ways of escaping the house?" I knew it was fishy that nobody heard me falling like that.. I suck.

"Well, where are we going," I moaned, "It hurts." It being reference towards that hunger pain. And I hate that hunger pain; a pain that causes me to go out of control... a pain that makes me not me. I hate being not normal. I just want to go back to being L.T.P.; best friend of R.L. and the only problem in my head would be who was my boyfriend at the time.

"Everytime you need blood, I can't have you attacking random people; whether you know them or not," Daviel said, glancing back at me as we crossed a street. We were already within the deep parts of downtown Reaper; where the most crimes were commited. But I felt relatively safe... what with my raging hunger and sharp teeth... and a father who was a complete vampire. Woah, I just totally referred to Daviel as my father. Wow.

"But then the hospital is the other direction," I interupted my thoughts. There was no hospital this way.

"You can't go to the hospital each time, too," Daviel stated, "That'll just cause confusion and eventually someone will lock you up for being a freak or something stupid like that." And now I was annoyed.

"Then, _where_ are we _going_," I hissed, my fangs fully grown at the thought that I was just going to starve. Plus, the rage just got me more out of control, and I seriously considered just attacking Daviel myself. But he turned sharply to face me, his fangs in clear view, and his eyes a cold, black color of rage himself.

"You get yourself in CONTROL, Sprice, _now_," He snarled, "And _shut up_!"

Jerk.

But I calmed down and retracted my own fangs bitterly. I'll get in control once I have blood.

Another bad thing about being half-vampire: The way I think of blood as food is repulsive, yet I can't stop thinking of it that way.


	25. Chapter 24

Part Twenty-Four:

I followed Daviel into an empty lane that led to the back of a dark, pub-looking building. It's bricks were blackened with age, and cracked so oddly that it couldn't have been by age. My sharpened sense of smell and sight caused me to be able to see the blood smeared against the wall, nearly invisible, though. But it wasn't a thick amount of blood, so I just assumed some people got in fights back here... some strong people.

Daviel pushed open a cool, metal door that was placed in the middle of this black, cracked, and back wall of the building. Nobody stopped him as he walked in, but I still followed cautiously. The building on the inside looked way more modern than it did from the outside. The walls were white, the floor a white marble, and the ceilings were a pattern between mirrors and lighting. It was confusing either way, for when I looked up, I was either blinded by a light or startled by my reflection looking down at me.

The place was quiet. I couldn't even hear anything behind the many doors we passed by, but the doors were labeled with letters like "A+", "B-", numbers, and some had words like "Heal-A" and ect. I sniffed the air, expecting the letters to stand for blood types. Though the Heal-A made no sense... but I didn't smell any blood in here.

What I did smell was vampires.

I figured the difference between vampires and humans scent was the sugary smell. Vampires lacked it. It was as if the blood they obtained from humans wouldn't actually provide the vampire the nutrition that it would give a living being. The lack of oxygen along with it just gave vampires a dull smell that was disguised by some sort of odor the dead body gave off to pull in their prey. But this odor wasn't as sweet as the sugary smell a human gave off... if it wasn't covered up by body odor.

Well, it wasn't as sweet to me at least. Maybe to humans, full-humans, the unique smell vampires gave off was so... unique that it seemed to form into a smell that would appeal to any human. Either way, it was that unique smell that caused me to know that this place held vampires inside of it instead of the humans who would hold warm, sugary blood to make my lack of blood generation stop bugging me.

And I was proved correct when I followed Daviel into a wide, circular room that held a good amount of vampires within it. The room reminded me of a waiting room at a dentist office... or a doctor's office. There were magazines all around, a television, and groups of chairs and sofas that held the vampires reading those magazines and watching that television.

The way some vampires were badly burned in some places, objects protruding from others, and some just looking like they were nearly passed-out made me believe that we must have actually walked into a doctor's waiting room.

Daviel walked up to a large desk in which had piles of paper and office supplies upon it. The moment he stopped in front of it, a woman appeared behind it, smiling welcomingly.

"May I help you, Sir," she asked, a badge on her shirt saying 'Cameron'.

"Uh, yeah, I need blood for a new vampire-- a half vampire," Daviel said in a hushed voice, his eyes darting about in a way that told me he hadn't been in this place very much. But all I cared about was the fact that I was getting blood.

"Sign here," Cameron said, placing a clipboard in front of Daviel before looking at me, "You, too."

I walked up to the desk, and I waited until Daviel handed the sheet to me. After I wrote 'Sprice Orome' under Daviel's name, I barely noticed that I even wrote like him... a slight difference by the fact that I made my dots 'x's instead of dots. And then I was being led down a hall, Daviel following me.

Cameron stopped in front of the doors that had been labeled by letters. "What type do you prefer," she asked me. Like I would know. Seriously...

"Try AB positive," Daviel muttered behind me, almost reluctantly. But Cameron heard him, and she opened the door that had those very letters on it. The door was extremely thick, actually, and when we walked into the room, it was empty. Just white. Cameron shut the door behind us, and walked across the room to open a second door. This time, shutting it before we could follow her.

And before I had time to even question anything, Cameron appeared back through the door again. This time, she was pushing a tray towards us. I automatically could smell the sweet smell that I had been dying for since James. And I practically snatched the glass of blood on the tray. Within seconds, I had drained the glass, and just like that... I was sliding back into my normal thoughts.

Just like that... I felt like I was going to throw up my skeletal system. The blood was no longer sugary to me, but coppery. No longer liquid, but mush. And there is another bad thing about being HALF vampire: the mix up between being in the mind of a human and being in the mind of a vampire.

In my ultimate feelings of disgust, Daviel had dragged me outside, and soon enough, we were sitting on the edge of the sidewalk in silence. The ground was wet, which meant it had rained at some point, but we didn't care. After full moments of just sitting there, I continued to glance at Daviel, who was sitting on the right side of me. He was just staring across the street, and -- by the look on his face -- it was like he'd be fine just sitting there in silence for a couple of decades. Almost an enjoyable thought, and probably possible in his state. He had aaaaall the time in the world.

"Do I," I suddenly asked. Daviel blinked, and looked at me. Even sitting down he was taller... and though he looked only 4 years older than me, the way he just acted clearly stated that he was centuries older than that. Yet, through all that practice of life, he still had as bad as a temper as I did. But right now he's seemed calm, like me.

And then I realized that I had just asked a question about something that I was conversing within my own little head. But Daviel merely shrugged, "You won't age now that you've finally reached the time of change... but all the half vampires I've ever met never lived for more than 100 years." Well, that's just a human life-span with a healthy diet.

"Do they just drop dead," I inquired curiously.

"No," Daviel said slowly, now suddenly nervous... as if I had just brought out something that had been on his mind already. Which didn't exactly tell me whether that was a good thing or not. "They usually destroyed their self," he stated. So, bad then. "They get sick of it after awhile. They get sick of being stuck as both a human and a vampire, but neither. And the blood problem you've just experienced was a big part of it." He glanced at me as if waiting for my reaction.

"Plus," he continued after a moment, "When full vampires are made, they're conscience is practically gone for a long time... so that when people they knew died from natural causes, they never got too bothered by it. But for the half-humans, they still have the conscience of their former self... which is why I had to stop you from killing your friend."

Just as he finished that, a car sped by, driving its tired directly into a puddle and spraying both Daviel and me thoroughly. And we both yelled furiously in unison. I stood up, flipping the car off, and yelled, "You fucking powdernuts!"

Daviel started laughing, and I turned to glare at him. "You look like a--," he started, but I didn't let him finish. Instead, I kicked a nice, healthy puddle of water at him, getting Daviel more wet than he already was. And I sat down next to Daviel, smirking myself. He seemed annoyed for a moment, but then he sighed before smiling himself.

"Wanna huff a marker," I asked, pulling out a sharpie from my pocket. Daviel gave me a weird look when I held it up, but I just laughed. "I'm just kidding!" Pothead. I wrote 'y' on my forefinger and 'o' on my pinky, both on my right hand. Then I wrote on my left hand a 'n' on my pinky and a 'm' on my forefinger. Then I grabbed Daviel's hand, writing 's' on his right ring finger, 'u' on his middle finger, and 'p' on his forefinger. I went through the same process on his left hand, but writing 'c' on his forefinger, 'e' on his middle finger, 'w' on his ring finger (above his wedding band), and 'l' on his pinky.

Daviel just watched the whole time. Then I raised my right hand up, only holding up my forefinger and pinky so that it said 'yo'. Daviel hesitated, but held up his right hand so that it said 'sup'. And I held up my left hand the same way as my left and it said 'nm' (for nothing much). And, finally, he chuckled before raising his left hand in a 'cewl'.

"Well, crap, I spelled it wrong," I said, just kidding, "Now we can have a silent conversation with each other in public and get weird looks from people!"

"Wow. And I didn't think that was possible," Daviel replied sarcastically, but he didn't try to rub off the letters.

"You don't mind if I write on you, do you," I asked, suddenly not so sure that was a good idea in the first place. It's not like I know him. But Daviel quickly shook his head. "Well, then, that just rocks my boat like a sundae float," I said, grabbing his arm to continue to write on him. There was more silence as I moved the marker just above his skin so that it looked as if I were writing.. but I wasn't. I don't write much, remember?

"So, are you like one of those vampires who are all wise and talented in that way where you repeat Shakespeare lines and play lullabies on the piano," I asked, teasing Daviel.

"Well," he said slowly, "I prefer Edgar Allen Poe and screaming on an electric guitar, but you're close."

I tisked, "Immature."

"But I am the all mighty wise and ultimately talented God of All because I am better than everyone," Daviel stated in a very egotistic voice.

I tisked... once again, "Sure thing, your highness." And I paused before saying, "Bleeding Christ." Which kind of shocked me because that was totally not my word. But whatever because I pulled my marker away from Daviel's arm. I had actually wrote something on it, decorated and all. And in the middle of the barb wire I had laced on Daviel's arm were the words:

Just another thought, a word, another label to wear.

Another mark to make on someone no longer there.

Daviel just looked at it for a moment. "You write poetry," he asked, amused, "Just like Jestin did. And you draw pretty good, too." I hesitated, still feeling a slight dread towards writing down those two lines that were blended in with all the other words written in my head. I could hear Hope trying to get me to write down those words I had rolled off the top of my tongue, and I could remember how it never worked for me. It was almost as if I had expected Daviel to drop dead like Kip had.

But nothing happened. I stared at the words for a moment, and then said, "I can't believe I said bleeding Christ. Next thing you know, I'm gonna have a kid and they're going to make fun of my bleeding Christ." Daviel made a face, obviously taking it as an insult, but I just shrugged and stood up.

"Well, I've gotta go figure out where my best pal is, if you don't mind," I stated. I hesitated before I could just start off to my own life again without Daviel. Then I glanced down at him sideways with one eyebrow raised, "Um... I'd... uh..."

Daviel waved it off with, "Yeah.. uh.. your... um... it's..." And there we were, stammering like two people who spoke two completely different languages... yet speaking the same stammering language without even noticing. Guess we both had a problem with 'thank you's and 'you are welcome's. That is, until Daviel just reeled off to a different subject and said, "Try not to bite anyone else."

"No problem," I said, "I've got a knife instead. No evidence, right?" And I started off down the road.

While I was wandering towards a random direction, seeing as I'd completely forgotten where I had left off in my Hope-Investigations, I started subconsciously thinking about Daviel. Try not to bite anyone else? That's like telling me not to reply to an anonymous letter. God, I want icecream. Nice tasty cold icecream, because it's actually kind of hot here. Isn't it suppose to be cold. What month is it again? What SEASON is it?

And out of the night like a bolt of lightning came a blonde-haired teenager, stopping in front of me so sharply that I squeaked. Of course, Ryen would be showing up out of nowhere. He may deny he's a stalker, but that's what they all say in the end. Instead of saying 'hello', I just walked around him and continued walking. I wasn't quite in the mood to talk about getting killed or being a half-vampire; so low compared to Ryen, the full blooded vampire.

"Hey, I see you saved you're 'non'-friend," Ryen stated smugly, walking behind me. I sighed.

"Look, if you don't want to screw me, then why are you even talking to me," I asked in annoyance.

Ryen snorted before saying, "If you think that the only reason why you should talk to guys is to do them, then I think you are seriously damaged."

I turned to glare at him, "Well, if you think that, why don't you disappear?"

"You won't miss me any?"

I scoffed, "Since I met you, my sex life had screeched to a stop, so maybe once you're gone it'll come back."

Ryen raised a brow, "Ooooh, so my super sexiness is keeping you from wanting to get it on with anyone else? That's... interes--" I punched him in the gut.

"That's _not_ what I meant," I snapped before retaining a sly grin, "I merely meant that all the guys sense your availability in homosexual ways and they prefer you over me." Ryen froze defensively.

"I am NOT--"

"--straight, I know. Too bad, too; you were a keeper," I finished for him, and cackled before rounding a corner to see the familiar school building. The quality of space it took up almost sent out an air of richness, as if this was actually a well-educated school. The last place I saw Hope was here. I stopped walking and instead frowned darkly.

"Woah, why the mood change," Ryen asked sincerely, moving to stand in front of me.

"I think Hope was next because after a fight I had in school this one time, I can't find her anywhere," I muttered bitterly. Ryen had a definite hesitation, and suddenly I was suspicious all over again. "How do you know all this stuff about who is attacking me and who is next, Ryen?" Of course, I had been wondering this for forever, but this seemed as good a time as ever to ask.

Ryen scuffed his Audios against the sidewalk cement nervously. As I watched him thinking up a lie -- most likely -- I realized that I'd never really thought of him as vampire. In fact, he'd never really shown a vampire side to him. I haven't seen him blood-thirsty; never seen any fangs really. Yet I _knew_ he was a vampire... I just wondered what he was like as a vampire fully.

"A long, long time ago, I was working for this large group of vampires. Vampires like me made it a job to go around killing enemies of our bosses at their order, and the vampire after you was my partner. We both ended up quitting the job, and when she decided to come after your... you... I followed her without her knowing it. And now I write fake letters to her... and she tells me her plans, but I can't directly find her to stop her," Ryen explained slowly. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, but let it pass. Some of it could be true.

We all lie after all.


	26. Chapter 25

Part Twenty-Five:

My very first kiss had been when I was 9 years old. Of course, while other people tend to have embarrassing first kisses which involved accidently kissing the same sex or something of that sort, I had a slightly normal first kiss.

His name was Dalton. He had been a year younger than me at the time, and we had been "going out" for a couple of months. Well, as much of going out as an 8 and 9 year old could go out... which actually meant that he came over to my house to play a lot. Otherwise it was just being friends who said they were going out. Still, I actually had loved him as much as a 9 year old could love some boy.

He had black hair and a carmel swirl of brown in his eyes. Dalton was equipped with dimples with his very bright smile, and was very rough and tough and dirty. Still, I was just as tough, and I tended to leave bruises all over him instead of the ladder. Just like most guys, Dalton was a videogame lover, and he absolutely adored rap. He dreamed of growing up to be a cracker-rapper in Detroit, Michigan. He did have some baby fat, but it wasn't much. He was just the cutest boy in the world... in my eyes.

So, one day -- while hiding within his house from his sibling during a game of hide-and-seek -- I had this weird urge within my gut. Dalton was snickering within the closet with me, the darkness giving us a rush of adrenaline from hiding. And I knew that I loved him so much that I wanted to plant a good kiss on him.

So, I said, "Dalton, there's something on your eyelid." Smooth, right? Dalton had stopped snickering and started wiping off his eyelids slowly. I shook my head with a giggle and said, "No, let me get it off for you!" And he shrugged before closing his eyes for me to get whatever it was on his eyelid off.

I reached forward, not even pretending to wipe anything off, and kissed him right on the lips.

Want to know what the magic was like? Well, not a milli-second later, Dalton yelled, "EEEWWWW!!" He started wiping his lips off in complete repugnation, and bursted out from the closet. And that concluded my wonderful, phantasmagoric first kiss. Not that it affected me much, for not long after that I ended up kissing another boy named Andre. And then many many more after him.

Dalton, on the other hand, grew up to become jumbo fat boy, and he moved off to another place where not even the dimples could hide away his quality.

See, besides Dalton, I usually had a way with guys. But it seemed this _dude_... Ryen or whatnot, he's a whole different species of guyness. Well, of course he's vampire (fuuull--of shit--vampire), but you'd figure a guy with such a visible stance and ability to probably get plenty of girls, he'd welcome such a gift as myself. Doesn't that sound so full of myself? I totally could pass as a full vampire.

As I walked beside Ryen, I could smell his foreign aura... and I wondered where he came from. Obviously, he could be old enough to come from anywhere, but the foreign smell was actually comforting. Remember how I stated that humans had a sweet smell, which is why they're so (bleh) tasty? Well, vampires don't ever have that sweet smell unless they've just fed, but they have a whole different level of smell. A smell that, once ... smelled, seemed to knock human smell out of the ball park. But, if I must be metaphoric for you, imagine the food you absolutely adore. Say, if you loved a freshly cooked steak. I mean, you love it. You could eat it everyday, and the craving for it comes at all times of any day. But... if you met a person who smelled like a steak.. I don't know about you, but it'd just make me want to eat a steak rather than do him. Plus, I'd figure the dude needs a bath.

So, when I had my vampire Ryen here smelling NOT like food, but more of a... aroma that I can't exactly explain, I felt more comfortable. Here was a guy I wouldn't have to worry about draining. I was actually starting to feel comfortable about the fact that he WASN'T trying to get in my pants. I could just consider him as a chic, and it'd be just regular, non-tensioned air of friendship. But I'd like to disclaim the fact that I consider him as a chic. No, he's very much a dude.

But what am I doing, here? It can't be love because, let's face it, I'm just not capable of that type of thing... well, at least if I keep that thought in mind I will be. That's because I'm so special and wicked like that. Though it'd be way cool if I had my mother's supposed powers.

"So, how's school doing," Ryen asked, reminding me of mom, kind of.

I shrugged, "Well, it's just about over, seeing as it's now in the middle of May, but I think I actually passed ninth grade this year!" I smiled humorously. I'd have to try harder next year to catch up to my grade.

"So, that fight a long time ago... I hear it was with that Ray-Lottie girl," Ryen said with an amuzed aura about him. I looked at the ground sheepishly. Of course he'd hear about that, being all stalker and stuff.

"She called me crazy for saving her ass that one day," I explained, pulling my hands behind my back innocently, "And she said I probably killed Jason... which I didn't. And I got mad... and so I punched her... along with this other prep there..."

"You know, that prejudice streak in your mind is actually kind of senseless," Ryen said.

I frowned, "I'm not _prejudice_. I hate everyone equally."

Ryen laughed, "Yes, but you have a special hatred for these 'preps'."

"Preps are bitches."

"There's no such thing as preps, just overly-materialistic human beings... just humans. Everybody is the same in the end... dead," Ryen speeched. He had stopped walking, and had started waving his hand around as if to teach me a lesson or something.

"Well, then...," I snipped, "I hate--"

"--Hate is a very harsh word to use towards people," Ryen said, amusement dancing in his voice.

I groaned, "Fine. I _ímmensely dislike_ overly-materialistic homosapiens whose providence resides within the educational system of North Reaper County District assembly... that being in the 'diction' of a more complex sentence structure that would end in meaning the same as: I hate preps in my school. Happy?"

Ryen laughed, "Prejudice."

"Hippie," I muttered.

"Complainer."

"Egotistical jerk."

"Whore."

"Bitch."

"Slut."

I scoffed, "Female dog."

Ryen didn't respond for a moment. I waited for his response, already having plenty more insults ready to be used towards him. But instead, he said, "It's nice to know we get along so well."

I smirked, "Best friends forever." Ryen was suddenly standing directly in front of me. He twisted his forefinger around a strand of my hair gently and sighed.

"So, no boyfriends unless you can sleep with them," He asked.

"Well, if you can lower your standards so as to be my 'friend', then... you'd be a boy... you'd be my friend, but that's as far as it's ever going to get," I smiled brightly, "Unless being called a 'boy' is offensive, then you can be a manfriend. Whatever keeps you afloat."

Ryen started walking further on once again. "Oh, you'll change your mind about me eventually," he said certainly. There's that 'full' vampire side of his showing up again.

"Sure I will," I stated sarcastically. "Why would I go out with a guy who calls me prejudice, slutty, and a half-breed dimwit?" Ryen suddenly looked offended.

"I never called you a half-breed dimwit," he said defensively, "And I figured you'd like being called names. It seems to be your number one choice in men."

How... dare he.

I jumped in front of him, and then I pushed him for extra measure. "I do NOT... you don't even know me... you're just...," I struggled to find the right words, "You're just mad I don't like you!"

"Oh," Ryen started, noticing he hit a nerve, "So you try to sleep with any guy, then, as long as you don't _like_ him." I felt rage starting to burn my insides to ashes. "And I believe I know you more than anyone ever around you because I'm the only one you CAN'T push away."

"I'll have you know," I pushed my finger against his chest, and he looked down at it with a now annoyingly amused expression, "You aren't the only person who knows me, seeing as I've lived with people in my life who... wow.. know me. Plus, you DON'T know me. You've only been stalking me -- what -- a week? You're just some stupid, confused moron-vampire who thinks he knows everything and is all wonderful and perfect. I don't think you're perfect at all. In fact, I wish you'd just go away forever because I think you suck."

Ryen was suddenly angry, but I just turned around and crossed my arms.

"Well, news flash for you, but you seem to be acting the same exact way," Ryen snapped at my back, "Leader of the pack? You think you're so tough when you're actually just a wimp crying over every single thing. So you're losing your friends, boohoo. Maybe if you'd grow up and stop crying over your daddy not loving you and your life not going your way, which goes for everyone, seeing as nobody's life goes their way, maybe... just maybe you could actually keep ahold of friends instead of thinking you're too good for anyone! And you want me gone?" He scoffed, "I'm gone."

I ignored him, just standing there, crossing my arms furiously. After a moment of silence, I hesitated. I turned around to see nobody there. I snorted, "Fine. And don't come back!" And I started stomping off down the road. I picked up a rock and threw it at a wall. I came into view of houses; very flourished houses.

I think I was suffering from temporary insanity at the moment. See, I could hear the music blaring, see lights flashing all around, and hear... smell the party roaring within the house. And I was ultra-pissed. So, I walked around the back of the house, and found a nice big window. I waited a second until I could hear the noise rise for a split moment. And I elbowed in the window. I waited to see if anyone heard the shattering, but nobody seemed to notice.

I jumped in through the window, seeing that it led into the kitchen. There were people... teenagers crowded all around the place, and a glass of some sort of alcoholic drink was shoved in my face as if I had been there all along. And I started to drink whatever I could find. I wasn't even sure what party this was, nor whose house this was, but I was joining in on it anyways.

By what I could tell, it was a popular type of party. Girls were dressed in slutty yet fashioned clothing, and guys were jumping from the balcony and trying to get lucky with any girl they came in contact with. I could recognize the athletes, the school spirited students swamping the house, but I still stayed anyways. Who cares? According to Ryen, I enjoy the company of people I hate. Pff.

I hate being in the company of people I hate.

I turned and punched the nearest person, which turned out to be a buff-dude, in the face. He crashed to the ground, and I turned before tackling the girl who screamed at what I did. Suddenly, I was being bombarded by groups of people, but I just swung. At some point, I jumped on the back of this one guy, who ended up running into the television at the influence of being blinded by my hands. At another point, I was being sat on by a basketball girl, being punched in the face. I just laughed and smashed a bottle over her head.

At the last point, I was in the back of a police car, being towed away to the police station. I felt the alcohol I had drank lowing a dark film over my mind. I just laughed the whole way there, occasionally saying something to the driver like, "Mmm... this is a nice car you have here." But only in a perverted voice. Even sometimes saying, "I have drugs..." Which had the cop asking where they were, but I had said, "I forget... you'll have to search me..." Still in the perverted tone.

And then, after being searched but found clean, I was sitting on the floor inside a cell in the police department. I had refused to tell them my parent's phone number, but they just called the school for information. Oh, well. I was also in the cell with around three other people, but none of them did anything but shake their heads everytime I giggled and sang 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star'. I don't know why THEY shook their heads... they're in jail, too.

By the time my name was called to be let out, I was laying on the floor, halfway passed out. Someone tried to wake me up, but eventually another person just picked me up to carry me out of the police department. I felt as if everything was just floating by in a haze. I could hear two voices in the car, in which I was laid in the back seat uncomfortably. I could get up if I wanted, but I didn't care anymore.

"She's on probation," I heard mom say in a distraught voice, "This is her third offense; she's going to court this time... she could go to jail for this. What am I going to do?"

There was silence. "I don't get it," Daviel muttered, "She was just fine not too long ago."

"Did she say anything about going to go to some party... fighting... anything," mom asked in confusion.

"No, just that she was going to go look for a friend," Daviel replied. "And apparently she didn't find any friends, after all."

The next morning... night... I couldn't keep track anymore, I woke up with a huge hangover. I sat up in my bed.. odd... I didn't remember ever arriving here. Still, I felt relunctant to completely wake up and meet the parents. I doubt I'm getting any kudos for getting arrested last night.

I got up and started out my bedroom. Nothing hit me on the way to the kitchen, so I figured I was safe enough to go and get a drink or something. Maybe go to Hope's house again and see if she ever got back... or just to assure the fact that Barbie has her hostage. I grabbed the front door knob, and started to open the door.

"You're not going anywhere for a long time, Sprice," Daviel's voice said from the living room couch. I had just bypassed him without even glancing his way. Now I turned bitterly. "You broke into a house, drank alcohol while being underage, started a fight for no reason, and got arrested. We had to bail you out, and now you have a court date while under probation. You have a probation officer, for crying out loud. You're a felon, now. Happy?"

I scoffed, "No need to get all upset about it?"

Daviel stood up furiously, "Upset? So you're fine with this? What is _wrong _with you, Sprice? You seemed just fine when I was talking to you last night?"

"Who cares," I snapped, "I felt like beating a couple of jerks to the pulp; they deserved it, anyways."

"You're in trouble with the school education, and now you're in trouble with the United State's federal law force," Daviel yelled, "And you're driving your mother insane! You don't care?" I didn't respond. "Maybe you're the one who deserves being beaten to the pulp. Go to your room. You're to stay there until told you can leave, which won't be for a long time."

I was furious. "Well, look who's decided to play father at last," I snarled, "No matter how much you try, DAVIEL, you'll NEVER be my father. I _hate_ you." And I stomped off to my room, leaving Daviel standing there in the living room.

"And don't try to run away, either, I'll be listening," Daviel yelled as I slammed my door shut.

I hate everybody.


	27. Chapter 26

Sorry for taking a bit; I lost my internet for a bit there. Thanks for waiting!

Part Twenty-Six:

I had to get out of this room. And I couldn't do it in any way that Daviel would hear; seeing as that was the clear warning he had said not too long ago. I could try to excape, and if Daviel got ahold of me... I could fight him off. But until that's the only option left, I decided that I'd try to think of a better way that didn't include a bloody process.

Not that I knew where I would be going once I left. I could try Hope's house again, but... in reality... I'm not sure I want to come in contact of James for a while. Seeing as the last time I saw him didn't turn out so well, and I'm not sure if he'd remember any of it. I'm wasn't completely sure if I wanted to find out, either. But how else am I going to figure out where Hope is?

Well, that makes no sense. I mean, if Hope is at her house, there she is. If she isn't, how is assuring myself that Barbie has taken off with her going to help me find her? Unless I got ahold of Ryen, again. Then maybe I could get him to help me figure out where his old vampire partner is... that makes no sense either. For all I know, he's off in China by now. God knows what he meant when he said he was gone. It would kinda suck if he went and killed himself...

So that leaves Candace.

Just the thought of Candace caused an ache in my gut. She'll be the only one left, and she's in a freakin' coma. What if she ends up dead, too? I could get more friends, sure, but what if they end up dead from being my friend? I had to go see Candace. What if Barbie girl goes after her, as well? Just to make sure the job is completely finished? I had to go see Candace!

But as to how I was planning to get out of this room. I hate being stuck in my room. Well, I never was completely stuck in this room... but still. How was I to get out with Daviel listening in the other room? At least I wouldn't have to worry about mom... why can't dad... woah, Daviel get a job? I swear, he's so immature and irresponsible. And he thinks he has the right to confide me within my room? Pff.

"I hate you," I yelled from my spot on my bed.

"Thanks," Daviel's voice returned. I glared at the door.

That was useless. Or maybe... maybe that's the way to go. Not that insulting Daviel would get me anywhere, but I believed I found my excape. And yelling is needed... and throwing... and lots and lots of noise. Ahaha... ahehe... ahahahehe...

I got up and walked over to my stereo. I'm not usually made of much of that teenager bitterness that includes this, but Daviel wouldn't know that. I pressed the power button, and changed the station to the Edge. And then I cranked the volume up to the max, leaving some random song that had loads of guitar, drums, and screaming ringing into the air of my room. I don't usually listen to this station, but -- once again -- how was Daviel suppose to know that? I automatically heard a knocking on my door, and I just started jumping up and down on my bed, yelling randomly.

"Ivy... Sprice, turn that music off," Daviel yelled through the noise.

"I hate you, go away," I screamed back, kicking the wall... which caused a picture frame on my wall to fall and shatter on the ground. I didn't hear Daviel knocking or yelling, so I assumed it was working so far. And I started grabbing things from the dresser and anything just to throw it against the walls to break it. At some point, I threw this glass angel at my window, causing it to shatter... Daviel didn't come to stop me, though. I was pretty sure the noise was as painful to his ears as it was to my half-vampiric ears.

And then it was time for my wonderful excape. I kicked the edge of a shelf I had on the wall that held a whole line of breakable my mom had bought me over the years. I used to love them, but now.. well, I hate everything. They started their slow crawl to the edge, and I started my way to the shatter window. I kicked out the rest of the glass, giving the noise a quality much like the quality I had used the whole time. Just when the breakable started slipping to the ground and crashing extremely loudly together, I jumped out the window.

I left the house behind, my room leaking rage-filled music and the continuing chain of breakables shattering. Leaving behind the peices of my life I used to enjoy that were ruined by me. Now wasn't a time to worry about the consequences of my actions, but I was free to head to the hospital.

I bounded through the doors of the hospital, pulling the last peice of glass out of my hair from jumping out my window. I didn't see any of Candace's family anywhere, so I just walked pass the waiting room towards Candace's hospital room. Nobody noticed me, which is pretty cool because I had a second sense telling me that Daviel could totally read minds and anybody who hasn't seen me won't be able to blow my cover. For a moment... I wondered if Daviel even realized I wasn't in that room anymore. God, I'm brilliant.

I walked into Candace's room, noticing automatically that she was still out. I still smiled a bit, glad to see she was at least alive. I shut the door and headed to the chair that was abnormally close to her bed. Candace's mother was probably freaking out about this... not that I care, seeing as the last time I ever had a decent conversation with her mom, she wasn't regretful at calling me any name she could think of that wasn't anywhere in the nice section of the dictionary.

After a moment of staring at her, I sat back in the chair and propped my feet onto the side of her bed. I grabbed the remote on the side table and flicked on the television. I flipped through the channels quickly, settling on some movie I had seen way back that I couldn't think of the name. Dakota Fanning played in it, though. I always thought she was pretty cool. Maybe I should become an actress when I grow up. Growing up, though... eh, it seems like too much an effort.

"Do I look like a damn foot stool to you?"

I froze. I looked from the television to glance at the source of the sentence someone just groaned. Candace was laying on her stomach, and her eyes were slightly open; looking in my direction. I didn't believe my eyes.

"What," I asked, confusion.

"I said," Candace grunted, "Do I look like a fucking foot stool to you? Get your damn feet off of me, Sprice." I dropped my feet to the ground in utter shock.

"Your...," My voice failed me, "You're awake!"

Candace smiled, "Yes, I woke up a couple of days ago. Talk about a hangover... they say it wasn't a hangover, but whatever."

I felt a huge relief flood through me. Not only was she alive, but she was awake! She's... awake! Oh, Jesus, I will worship your toenails because -- yes -- Barbie girl didn't get ahold of Candace!! I stood up and smothered Candace in a hug of my lifetime. She started struggling to get me off of her. I only laughed when she tried to flip me over the bed.

"I thought you were going to die in a coma," I said, feeling giddy at her waking.

She struggled a bit, but succeeded in sitting up. "Well, I don't know about you, but I have no idea what's been going on... so you want to entertain me," Candace asked.

I hesitated, but started telling Candace everything. And by saying everything, I meant _everything_. I told her first about Daviel arriving out of nowhere, which got her curious in what he was like. After learning what he was like, it got her interested on planning his destruction. Candace was like that; always willing to share hatred towards anyone.

Then I told her about the vampire part. I figured I could trust Candace to keep quiet about the supernatural facts, and she promised she wouldn't tell. Then she wanted me to bite her again, which I politely denied. First of all, how am I suppose to know how to change a person into vampire? And how am I to know if a half-vampire can even change a human to vampire? No, I decided it was best to leave that to the experts, no matter how disappointed Candace was.

I told her about Ryen. And after explaining what he was like, I kept in mind to keep her away from him. After losing her last emo boyfriend, I was sure she'd like to get to "know" a new emo guy... a new vampire emo guy named Ryen. And I'm not too sure what he'd be like being pursued by a human. He'd probably end up killing her. Which would make me sad all over again, so no.

And then I told her about my fight with R.L. and Kate Lorey. I told her how I was suspended... and now under probation because of my law breaking spree the previous night. This saddened Candace, seeing as she expressed her wanting to be my partner in crime. Maybe next time, I had told her.

"So, where's my Gay Lady," Candace asked, looking around as if expecting him to be hiding somewhere behind me. I hesitated. I wasn't sure if I should tell her about him, but she'd figure it out later, anyways. "And... _your _Hope, I guess. You get rid of her yet?" She snickered to show she was joking. I think.

"Candace...," I sat down slowly, "Hope's gone... Jason's dead."

Candace sat there a moment, not seeming to let that last statement soak in. I was preparing to hear the worse. Instead, I heard nothing. She just sat there as if I was joking with her. I explained to her about Barbie girl, and how she was going around, killing all our friends... well, all my friends, at least.

Candace was quiet for a full minute. I had focused my attention to the ground, letting her think over everything. And then she said, "I'm out for a couple of days and it all goes to Hell around here." Normally, I would've taken that as a joke, but she sounded seriously angry at the moment. It's all right... I was angry as well. It was nice to have someone with equal anger problems to talk to about this. Besides King Daviel de Moronation. Not that I'd be talking to him about this. He'd probably say I was a weak person and go around killing whoever he figured was involved in this. Jerk.

I looked at Candace. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"What do you mean," she asked, thinking hard.

"Well, they said you nearly died from heroin o.d. That doesn't usually sound like you, so what do you remember from injecting yourself with that," I asked curiously.

Candace hesitated, seeming to be scanning the back of her eyelids for the memories. She shook her head, though. "I don't remember any heroin. Just crack," she said slowly, "But I remember for a moment I thought I was really out of it because you suddenly had blonde hair... and looked different... and had teeth... not that you don't have teeth, but I mean.."

I nodded in realization, "It was Barbie girl. She must have injected you when we all were asleep. And the teeth.. she must have killed Angel as we--" I paused at Candace's gasp of pain. She covered her face with her hands, and I realized that Angel must have actually meant something to her. That or all the commotion must have actually started to bug her.

I patted her arm slowly. "It's all right, Candace, we'll get Barbie girl back. Ryen must know something of where she is... I promise I'll get her back for all she did." Candace continued to sob, and I knew that I was being completely serious when I was saying I was going to kill that blonde bitch.

Before we could talk anymore, a nurse opened the door. At first glance, she looked mad, but when she saw Candace crying and me patting her arm compassionately, her face softened. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave," she said sweetly to me, almost sincere with sorrow, "There's a man at the front desk saying he's your father, and he's asking for you. Only family is allowed in here, anyways, but you'll be able to visit anytime in the near future."

I nodded, "Yeah, I'm coming. Just give me a minute to say goodbye to Candly Candace." I added in the nickname to give a nice sense that I was sweet and lovely... and almost sisterly to Candace. Which I practically was. Actually, I was waiting for the nurse to leave so I could excape from thy evilness of thy Daviel. The nurse turned and left. Candace sniffled and looked at me.

"You say you snuck out to get here," Candace asked. I nodded. "Well, you'd better get moving, then. Once I get out of here, we can cause mass maham upon the life of your vampire father. Or should I be nice so he'll turn me into a vampire? He's a professional, right? And full? Ish?" I smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah, let's see about that later... far later... see ya later, Candace," I said, getting up to leave.

"Peace, Baby Gap," Candace said, getting back to her normal self.

I walked out of the room slowly, glancing both ways before heading the opposite direction as the front desk. I expected Daviel to appear any second to capture me and lock me in a bank vault or something. Oh well, I'm not afraid of small places, unlike my mom. I walked purposely, hearing the '007' James Bond theme song being played within my head.

I saw the elevator, a demon-indused invention ever made but still there, and I walked into it with a doctor. It started to shut, and just as there was nothing but a small crack left, Daviel's now itty-bitty body appeared just in front of it. I had just barely enough time to smile evily before it was shut and moving down. The doctor got off on the next floor, and Daviel appeared amazingly fast in front of the elevator. I grabbed ahold of the sides of the door and swung both of my feet up to power kick him out of the way.

The elevator doors shut, and it was moving down once again. I looked up, remembering how there's some sort of opening thingy on the top of the elevators. I pushed it open, and pulled myself up so that I was on top of the moving elevator. It was kind of cool. The moment I got up there, the elevator doors opened again, and I didn't risk shutting the opening. I held my breath and waited a moment. Nobody came in, but the elevator didn't start moving again.

Suddenly, Daviel's face appeared in view of the opening, and he looked up at me. "Sprice, you get down here right--" he snarled, and I kicked his face furiously. He's a vampire; he can handle it.

Daviel landed on the ground with a loud 'thunk', and I cackled before jumping to the floor of the elevator. He grabbed my ankle, nearly causing me to fall, but I kicked his head forcefully. This loosened his grip, and I grabbed the doors just before they would shut; locking me forever in this elevator with air filled with Daviel's idiotic aura. I jumped out of the elevator, and let the door separate Daviel and me.

And I was free to just walk out of the building into the night's lovely world. I still didn't trust Daviel being held back too long, so I started running far from the hospital. Then again, Daviel could probably follow my smell. Plus, I wasn't sure where I was going to go. There was nothing else to do except head towards Ryen. And I had no idea where he was, unless he had decided to be "gone" in his waterfall.

That's where I went.

I climbed the rocks, feeling how easy this was getting. This kept reminding me that I was a vampire. A non-existant creater people liked to make up so that it gave them a sense of power and ability to hope for living forever. Exactly how long can this world actually exist in order to allow a person to live forever in it? I doubt that would ever happen.

When I reached the cave, I noticed it was empty. I couldn't sense any fresh scent of Ryen being here. There wasn't any trace of Ryen living here anymore. I felt disappointed. Great. Now my only clue to who was trying to kill me was gone forever just because I ticked him off. So much for being the only person I couldn't push away. Pff. Liar.

I headed back to town; there was no way I was going back home. I might as well decide to be a hobo. That'd be nice. Just moving to some random place where nobody could contact me. Then there'd be no problems with some random chick who decides to kill everyone around me. Man, there'd be no people about me to worry about. Then again, I still have to worry about Hope and Candace's health. Crap.

There's only one person left to go to. Bleh.


	28. Chapter 27

Part Twenty-Seven:

I heard a rustling behind me as I walked through the shadows of a random alley. Not that I was afraid of anybody mugging me, but still. People annoy me. And I turned around with a sigh.

"Look," I started, "You can try to rape me or whatever, but can we go do it in Mcdonalds or something because this alley thing is getting really cliche--" I automatically recognized the person who stepped in view. He had a nice smirk planted on his face.

"McDonalds," Ryen asked, "Alleys may be cliche, but McDonalds has cameras, so I doubt that would work out in any way. How about a classroom? No cameras in there... or a public bathroom. Whatever 'keeps you afloat', as you say."

I scoffed, "I thought you said you were gone."

Ryen walked closer to me, looking up at the sky for a moment. "Well, I noticed how much you missed me already, and I decided maybe you didn't diserve me abandoning you yet," Ryen stated. I started to deny missing him profusively, but he interupted, "Arrested already? And don't think I didn't spot you trying to find me inside that little cave."

I sighed, "I should've known you were just being a more descreet stalker."

Ryen laughed, "Well, true, but you would've never found me in that cave. I find it very uncomfortable, so I found a nice dirt hole in the ground instead."

"Really?"

"No. But it's a nice, caveman-like thought, right," Ryen asked sarcastically. I shrugged, watching him slowly make his way closer to me. For a moment, I wondered if he had forgot the argument we had gotten into, but that would be just dumb. It's not like that was just a couple of months ago. "I hear your friend woke up."

"Of course you did," I stated, "And did you happen to hear where your terrorizing friend is recently living at, as well?" I smiled brightly, starting on my quest to persuade him into telling me. Ryen was suddenly standing directly in front of me.

"Well, I believe she's hiding in a nice, 'B' shaped rock, lain on rocks and eating berries," Ryen said, and I assumed this was sarcasm. "And why do you want to know where she's at? Ready to get back at her already?" At first, I would figure he wasn't that curious, but it seemed after a moment as if he was actually interested in the answer. I didn't care. It's not as if he was going to tell anyone, anyways.

"Yes," I admitted, "Now that Candace is awake, and Hope is gone... I think the best way to end it is to go after her and end it all at last." Whether ending it was either killing that Barbie chick... or getting myself killed; I wasn't sure, but I was sick and tired of worrying about my friend's lives. What if my mom was next? What if everyone I so much as smiled at was next? I couldn't just let it happen again and again.

"Yeah, I don't think that'd be such a smart thing to do," Ryen stated slowly, thinking over my short but simple plan. I was about to respond when a person walked into view of our conversation.

"I agree," Daviel responded to Ryen's statement. I opened my mouth, looking for some sort of explaination that I could use to get out of this trouble, but reconsidered before closing my mouth again. Daviel wasn't even looking at me anyways. He was glaring very pointedly at Ryen, who was suddenly tensed and had slighty crouched down as if preparing to pounce like a cat on Daviel. Not very friendly are these vampire greetings.

"How'd you get here already," I asked, noticing that not only did it seem Ryen and Daviel knew each other, but they obviously had some sort of history.

"Doesn't matter," Daviel snapped shortly, stepping towards me. Ryen backed up with each step Daviel took towards me. Whatever happened to being the big and bad full-blooded vampire? Backing away from a man who was merely _turned_ vampire and produced a _half_ vampire? Well, whatever his problem, when Daviel stepped in front of me, Ryen was still out of arms reach of him but not showing any signs of being afraid. "What matters is that you're with **him**." And Daviel gestured to Ryen.

I couldn't quite see Ryen anymore since Daviel had stepping in the way to block full view of me from him. And when I could glance his face just under Daviel's arm, he was glaring at Daviel, prepared in a stance to fight at any moment. Now, I'm not much of a people-judger, but compared between Daviel and Ryen, Ryen looked a little more scrawny and more apt to be squashed like a bug by Daviel. And Daviel looked as if that's what he had in mind, enforcing the thought when a low growl started forming from his chest, making _me _back away.

I don't know if it's some sort of vampire sense, but that noise clearly was full of hatred and blood lust. And after all those times I fought with Daviel, I never heard that type of growl erupt from him... and I don't think he actually tried to hurt me except that time he broke my hand. Damn him for that, by the way.

I didn't want Daviel and Ryen to fight, anyways. I had never seen Ryen angry much, and never witnessed a fight from him. Then again, it could be an instinct added to being turned... and he's full vampire, so I wasn't sure. Still, I didn't actually want Ryen to die. And I didn't really know if I was even afraid of Daviel dying. I guessed it would've sucked, but I figured I could handle it. Nothing a glass of hard liquor couldn't fix. One night session, and I'm over it. He'd been out of my life since birth so what's the rest of my life?

Ryen started in a dark and dangerous growl himself, and I saw them both bare their fangs, flexing their fingers in preparation for killing. "Hey.. hey," I started, shoving my way pass Daviel and standing in between him and Ryen. I looked at Ryen and then at Daviel. "Listen here, _Daviel_, this Ryen here is my friend, not some toy you can go fight with. There's no territory to claim or anything. You both don't live here--" I looked over at Ryen. "And you both don't own me, so whoever would win this fight would be winning shit. Besides, I hate you two... just about... yeah... equally." I shrugged.

Ryen relaxed only an inch at that last remark. "What did I do to you?"

"He's trying to kill you, Sprice," Daviel snarled, snatching my arm to pull me behind him again. "Him and his sister are the reason I haven't been in your life in the first place. They've been threatening to kill you since you were born, and I've been tracking them down to end that threat."

"Prove it," Ryen spat, "I don't have a sister."

I yanked my arm out of Daviel's grip, looking from his face to Ryen's. Daviel was looking me directly in the eyes, and he said, "He ever tell you anything about himself? Did you ever hear him mention any reason why he'd want to hurt me by hurting you?" His determined attitude made me hesitate in my tracks.

I looked at Ryen, my brows wrinkled with confusion and thoughts, "You did say that Daviel killed someone you knew. Someone close to you..."

"Don't listen to him," Ryen said to me, suddenly sounding desperate, "He's just trying to make you think I'd hurt you just so you'll let him try to kill me."

Daviel scoffed, "There's nothing to make her think about. You and your sister have been trying to kill her just to get back at me for killing your mother. And you've been trying to hurt _her_ by killing her friends. Which is dumb, seeing as she never did anything to you two..."

"He's got the wrong person," Ryen continued to me, "He didn't kill my mother, he killed my father--"

"Yeah, him too," Daviel said to me with a shrug.

"--And my father deserved it, I know. I don't have a sister to plan with anyways," Ryen stated, glaring at Daviel with a growl.

I looked at Daviel, not sure who to believe, and he said, "I don't have the wrong person." He pointed at Ryen. "That is Ryen.. James.. Greene." Ryen froze, caught red handed in a lie. "I killed his parents, true, but only because they were both out to get your mother, Sprice. Ryen **Greene; **son to Tyra Greene.. and I'm assuming Josepher." Ryen didn't respond, but he lowered his head as I glared at him.

"I killed Tyra after she told Josepher where Ivy was, and I killed Josepher after he claimed Ivy for hisself," Daviel explained, "And he and his twin sister, Mylia Larie Greene, both decided to pay me back for that by killing my ownly child. They threatened you, so I went after them. Only they're really good at running away--" Daviel hissed at Ryen with discust. "--so it's taken me forever just to get back here without even killing them. I wouldn't have come back until you were safe if it wasn't for Ivy calling me saying you were having problems with being a half-vampire."

"And his sister," I asked darkly.

"That'll be the girl who stabbed you at your friend's house," Daviel stated.

The blonde girl; Barbie girl. I glared at Ryen, "Whatever happened to her being just some partner from way back, Ryen? Just another lie? Were you going to just now send me off to meet your sissy, and join her in doing me in, huh? Now you see why I never trust men? It always ends up being too good to be true." I was pissed to the bone.

"Sprice, I--" Ryen started, but I interupted.

"Oh, it's okay, Ryen," I snapped, "I'm used to betrayal by now."

Suddenly, Ryen was directly in front of me. Daviel and I both were soaked with being furious, so that the rage seemed to seep between us equally. "I wasn't going to betray you," Ryen said, "I told her to go after your friends instead of you. I've been trying to get her to change her mind about killing you and telling her to go after your parents instead..."

I opened my mouth, insulted. And I punched him in the jaw so ferociously that he stumbled back a bit. "Thanks?! You expect me to be happy with that," I roared, "Jee, thanks, Ryen! Now my life is so wonderful seeing as you've been killing off all my FRIENDS before thinking of doing my PARENTS in!" And when he was about to say something else, I punched him again in the face, busting the skin on my knuckles open. I didn't care about my pain, just about giving him pain.

Ryen stood there a moment, touching the blood that had trickled from his lips. And suddenly there was an expression on his face I'd never seen before. His eyes were dialated, and his color of blue crystals was darkened by a swirl of shadows. Without warning, he swung his hand around and punched me on the side of the face with so much force that I could see black spots appear in front of me. The ground also decided to come flying at me, and when I landed, I groaned with both pain and rage.

There was suddenly sounds of snarling and snapping followed by blows being landed and things being thrown around. I groaned again, and pushed myself up to sit up. That... was a nice punch. I don't think even Daviel had thrown one as good as that at me. And as for the fights I get into, pff. No, not even the Barbie girl -- Mylia? -- did a good one like that. Not that I was too happy to achieve it, but if I hadn't been so pissed off at Ryen... like if it had been between some random person and me... I would've laughed and totally congratulated them on that. I think it broke my jaw.

I stretched my jaw, feeling the bruise that was sure to develop, but nothing was broken. I looked up at the racket to see nothing but a blur in what I was assuming was Ryen and Daviel fighting. It was extremely loud as each fist hit whoever at whatever time as whenever or whatever.. I don't know. I had just been knocked silly. I pushed myself up to my feet, though.

There was no way I could just split them up easily, and I looked around the alley to see nothing that would help me. "Daviel," I yelled at the two fighting like dogs. They continued, and I rubbed my jaw painfully. "Daviel," I called again. Daviel suddenly came into view as he threw Ryen across the alley and into the wall as if he was some toy doll. He was bleeding, his eyes a dark pool of red, and his face was twisted into a rage that was fixed on killing Ryen.

He started towards Ryen's injured form as Ryen struggled to get back on his feet. "Daviel," I yelled, but he continued on his way to Ryen to finish the job. I raised my hands up, suspending them at the loss of what to do, and put them on the top of my head before dragging them down the side of my face in dismay. I then screamed, "DAD!" Daviel stopped in mid-step, closing his eyes as if he was trying to get himself back in control, and he turned to look at me with eyes that were less red as just before.

I dropped my hands to my side, and Daviel looked at Ryen -- who had stopped even trying to get up seeing as he must have cracked his spinal cord -- before walking up to me. He grabbed my jaw gently and moved my hair out of my face to look at the cheek Ryen had punched. I still winced. "Did he break anything," Daviel asked, growling at the word 'he'.

"No," I admitted, "Can we just go?" Daviel glanced towards Ryen, who was now healed and starting to get up again. "Without finishing him off? If he does try to kill me, you can deal with him later."

Daviel hesitated, seeming to dislike that choice, but then said, "As long as you don't go after that Mylia girl." I scoffed. I'm going after her no matter what. But Daviel was now boring wholes into my face with determination. "I'm serious. No chasing after a full blooded vampire like her when you're weaker, younger, and less trained."

We glared at each other for a couple of seconds. "Fine," I spat with frustration.

"Okay," Daviel glared back to see that Ryen had run off. "Bleeding Christ, Let's go." And, as if I couldn't steer myself, he steered me towards home. I kept looking behind me, almost expecting Ryen to come back with Barbie Mylia. Or maybe I should rename her Amazing Mylia.. like from Amazing Ally or Maddie. Those dolls scared the crap out of me when I was a wittle girl.

I was suddenly pulled back into recent events; how I was now in for a court date and under probation while being suspended from the school. I looked over at Daviel with wide, innocent eyes. "I guess," I started slowly, "You want to know everything?"

He sighed, "Sometimes I think it'd be better if I just let you die."

I scoffed, "Sometimes I think it'd be better if you just let me die."

"Maybe I should," he growled.

"Maybe I should," I growled back.

"Should what?" 

"Should you should what?"

"What?"

"What?"

Daviel glared at me for a moment, and I glared at him in return. "Just--" He started, and I interrupted.

"It all started when my daddy didn't love me," I said, raising my hand out as if to gesture to the horizon. Daviel rolled his eyes. I skipped to when R.L. and I had first started having friends problem, telling the story of how all this mess came to give me. This time I added in the facts about Ryen, leaving out the parts that now insulted me.. including trying to seduce him and his will to try and win my so called love. And by the time we had finally made it back to my house, Daviel knew the whole story.

I walked into the living room, and he followed behind me. Mom saw us and she hugged me on sight. I coughed, feeling myself choke to death. "It's okay, mom, I run away everyday," I assured her, "I've not been killed yet!" She glared at me.

"Don't ever do that again," she said, "Unless you bring me along... you need a legal adult to buy some alcohol, you know." And she smiled. I stared in shock. This was something new.

"That leaves one thing left for you to do," Daviel said from behind me.

I looked back at him hopefully, ready to hear him say we were going after Mylia. I promised Candace, after all. But instead I was shoved a broom in one hand, a picker-upper in the other, and he pushed me to my room door. I rolled my eyes in disappointment when he opened my door for me to witness the massacre of my bedroom.

"Clean, and don't think about doing anything until it's done," Daviel ordered, pushing me into the room before shutting it behind me.

Oh, yay... what's more exciting than cleaning? Why can't life be easier... make it easier to build things than break them down? Grrr...


	29. Chapter 28

Part Twenty-Eight:

I was on total lockdown. Daviel obviously didn't believe I'd listen to him and leave the Mylia girl alone. Which is dumb because how am I suppose to know where she is anyways? What does he think I'm going to do? Stand out on top of my house yelling, "MYLIA! I'm HERE! Right here! Come on, hand over Hope and kill me for free! I totally won't fight!" Pff. I've got more dignity than that.

Once I cleaned my room, I felt very moody. The room was now practically bare. Why'd I destroy it again? Plus, now I had bars on my newly fixed window... and Daviel even went as far as to put an alarm system on it. And I couldn't undo it because he had the system on the outside. I know, normally it'd be odd seeing as you want robbers to stay out... but it's me they're keeping in. I could just break down my door, tackle through Daviel, hope Mom didn't use her powers on me (which she had that one time I almost got out, and she just snapped her fingers and poof.. I was back in my room), and run to.. where?

Candace had started calling my house, lately. Apparently, she had nobody else to talk to, and her family was driving her insane with talks about drugs. Once Daviel felt obliged to let me talk to her, we shared our problems together. I told her about the usual, and she told me how she was going to therapy and was also on a lockdown. This included drug tests and searches. It was as if we were in the ground together, but suffering from different ordeals.

I kind of liked the fact that I had someone to suffer with.

But if I ran off to Candace... that'd be useless. The people in the hospital were warned that if they saw me, they were to hold me until one of my parents came to get me. And once she gets out of the hospital, she was going to an enforced lockdown in her own house. At least she'd be able to go to school, while I'm still suspended. I had taken to calling Coach Hoyt. That's right, _Coach_ Hoyt... not Mrs. Hoyt or just Hoyt. After all, I was trying to suck up to him. Not that I could go to school until I got this thing off of my leg.

As for the court order, my probation officer had talked to the judge about just having me under house arrest. Another reason why I was under lockdown. Now nobody was out to worry about Hope. So I merely sat on my bed, grounded, house arrested, and suspended... and I felt more depressed than ever. I have become... messy. All those times I break the law, I was always enough in my head to remember the part about getting away from the cops. Apparently, I've forgotten that part. And look where it got me.

To add to it all, this house band arrest thing on my ankle itched like hell. And it bugged me that I could easily just rip it off, but if I did that... straight ticket to jail. I'd probably be tried as an adult, as well. I could wait this out, though. It was all okay.

Nevermind, I was going insane.

Plus, I didn't get all this Mylia and Ryen crap. Their dad gets killed by Daviel, and they don't mind... but their mom does and they're going after me? What'd I do to them? They're focusing on the wrong person. Go after Daviel. He's the one driving us all into pain. Me included. Daviel didn't feel like answering my questions though, and I had nothing to do but wait.

By the second week, I had on my stereo. I found a spanish channel, and -- finding the fact that I had no idea what it was saying funny -- I left it on there. After awhile of that, I started stifling through my barren backpack, finding notebooks never written in and pens rarely used. History, Math, English, and Sciene books never opened from my hands. And I poured out all the contents on my bed. I found the library book I had lost and paid for in the pile, and I leaned against the wall and started reading it.

Next thing I know, I'm flipping through the stations on my stereo. The spanish music got annoying... reminding me of Mexico or something. Then I was on the floor, reading the History book. History is interesting. Legalism sounds cool... where everyone deserves to be punished. And Epicureanism... aha; they believe pleasure is the way to go. I should convert. Or maybe not.

I was then flipping two pages in my notebook back and forth, watching the face I drew on the corner turn from happy to scared to happy to scared. Then I started drawing more stuff. And then I was flipping through the science book, reading about tapeworms. After a moment of this, I grimaced at how discusting it was and switched to math. Math isn't that hard... I could totally do all of this in a snap.

Then I was writing in the notebook. After doing this for a couple of hours nonstop, I realized I liked writing poetry. I wasn't sure why I was afraid to write anyways. And soon I was switching from writing poems to stories to back to poem. I never went far in a story, though, and it was more of a thought than anything. It was something to pass up time with. There was even some point I started writing down a list of things Ryen had said about his 'ex-partner', as if to help me figure out some sort of sign of where she was.

And I went back to my library book.

I was doing a handstand on my bed when someone knocked on my door. Before I could respond, Mom opened the door, and I fell on my back on my bed. "What," I asked boredly. She stood there for a moment, looking at all the paper I had written all over on the floor, the books laid open, the stereo singing opera, and me with my feet leaning up against the wall and my head hanging over the side, looking at her upside-down.

"James is here," Mom said slowly, "Make sure he doesn't get paper cuts on his way in." Oh, ha ha.. funny.

Still, I sat up and started piling all the books and paper into my closet. And Mom disappeared, leaving me to hear her voice asking James how he was doing. I was turning off my stereo just as he walked into the room. He glanced around a moment, and then looked at me.

"So," he said slowly, "See you've been getting busy lately."

I scoffed, "What are you doing here, James?" I was used to him trying to flirt with me, but usually he's just acting very annoying. I'd been getting used to his presence with hanging out with Hope so much.

"I figured you'd like some news from your outer life," James stated, sitting down on my bed. I crossed my arms and we looked at each other for a moment. I was looking for a sign of him remembering my attempt to kill him back then... but he didn't seem to be remembering anything of the sort. He was just... a news dude wanting to tell me the news.

"Okay," I said, "What's been happening, then?"

"Oh, well... Ray-Lottie got out of the hospital. She'd been sulking about the place, suspicious that you'd show up to kill her, but she's quit cheerleading. Apparently Kate Lorey blames her for what you did and has been hounding her too much. In fact, not a week ago they both got in a fight theirselves, and they were suspended for a couple of days," James started laughing about that, and I smirked. He continued to talk about what had been happening at school.

People got over what happened in the gym. Everything was back to normal, minus the ammount of chairs were empty since the few suicides happening lately. Apparently, people were taking to stabbing theirselves in the neck around school, and there was a list of people dead. Four band students, three loners, two football players, one teacher, and a partridge in a pear tree. No doubt Ryen and Mylia were to blame for the deaths. I didn't really know those people, but James said they were planning suicide therapy for any person who showed any sign of planning to kill theirselves. And they were thinking of a memorial service for those dead, including for Jason.

"Lucky that Candace finally woke up," James stated, "Or she'd be one of those students to remember. Definite attempting suicide in her case." I didn't correct him, but just let it go.

Instead, I said, "What about Hope?"

James hesitated. "I thought I told you... there is no Hope."

I sighed, "No.. not hope as in looking forward to something, Hope as in your sister Hope who I've been hanging out with for forever... you know... Miss I-Believe-In-God-After-A-Life-Of-Cutting-Myself?"

James suddenly looked very uncomfortable, and he started looking around for some sort of exit. I grabbed his wrist, though, not letting him get away from my questions. There was something odd about how he was trying to keep Hope's missing situation under the cover.

"Look," James said, looking at me,"You're Mom told me about your imaginary friend... that she was someone you just came up with to get over your grief from your dad missing from your life, so you don't have to pretend around me anymore."

I glared at him in shock. "Imaginary? What are you talking about?!"

"Hope Flowers? There's no such thing as her. I have no sister named Hope," James told me, "You came up with her years ago after I just met you on the bus. Remember? I told you I had a bunch of siblings, and then suddenly you were talking to the air." I was stunned into silence. James grabbed my hand from his wrist. "It's okay, Sprice, everybody knew it was some sort of roll-over from your childhood. Anybody who was confused was told by your Mom... but her missing? Maybe you're just finally getting over your imagination."

And suddenly I pried my hand away from James. I remembered how Hope happened to show up out of nowhere, automatically my friend. How she happened to know everything about me. How she had practically been in my mind at the gym... but I gripped the necklace she had given me on the bus.

"Look," I said, showing the necklace to James, "See? Look! If she wasn't real, I wouldn't have this!"

James looked at it in confusion, shaking his head, "Somebody else gave it to you. There's no girl named Hope, Sprice!"

I was already looking through my bag, looking for that one thing. That... that... and I pulled out the picture Hope had given me, too. I turned and showed it to James. "See? It's me and..," I started, but I looked at the pictured with a frown. Instead of Hope standing there, smiling softly, it was just me. With Jason glaring at someone in the corner of the picture. But just me. No Hope. I stared at it with disbelief.

"But..," I said in confusion, "But Candace. She saw her, too. She..." That was it! Candace could prove that I was right. There was a Hope, and someone was just trying to drive me insane. Mylia was trying to drive me insane. "GO," I yelled at James, "Just leave and NEVER come back."

James hesitated, a look of guilt on his face, and he left the room. I looked around the room, looking at the barred window, and then at the house arrest band on my ankle. Then I looked at the door, but running would be useless. I just had to talk to Candace. This was ridiculous. How could you live a life with someone as real as Hope as your friend, and she not be real? That's just stupid. Candace would know. She talked to her, herself. Mocked her... called her _my_ Hope. Called her... Candace never really did talk to her. Everyone always acted as if she didn't exist. As if I was insane when I talked to her.

But this couldn't be true. I mean... maybe I should've laid off the drugs. That or everybody else should have. SOMEone's on drugs. Maybe it's mom. She's the one telling everybody that Hope was imaginary the whole time. And I had someone I could go to without leaving the house.

As if she could sense my sudden thought, mom opened my door slowly; almost guiltily. I was shaking my head, holding my hands on the sides of my head in denial. Mom must have seen Hope. She's been there the whole time. I looked up at her.

"Mom," I whined. She shut the door slowly before turning to sit next to me. "James said Hope was imaginary. And I know he's wrong because she was my friend, and she's missing because that Mylia chick and Ryen took off with her and they're going to kill her, but nobody cares because they've been brainwashed to think she's not real. She's real, though. Help." I said it all in one breath, trying to get through it quickly. Then, before she could say anything, I added, "And I think Candace knows she's real, too."

Mom hesitated, "Um, Sprice... no, Hope was never completely real."

I suddenly dropped my whiny composture and glared at her. "How would you know if ANY of my friends are real. You don't care."

Mom scoffed, "Just because you're always running off doesn't mean I've never met your friends, Sprice."

I pointed at my door, "OUT! GET OUT, right NOW!"

"Fine," Mom hissed, getting up to leave, "And I'd know if Hope was or was not real because I'm the one who helped create her. I control reality after all."

"What's that suppose to mean?!"

Mom stopped at the door, sighing. "You looked so depressed, and your friends weren't helping at all. So I took the part of you that you were holding inside, and I allowed a whole new fake life rise. That was Hope; named after my hope for you to become happier. And you were getting happier, but once your dad came back... I waited awhile, and I decided she needed to back. So I said the moment you got over Ray-Lottie, she'd disappear. She's not real."

"No," I said, "No, you're just talking like an insane person. She's real, and Mylia has her. She got taken at the gym when I got in a fight with R.L."

"That's when you got over her," Mom stated, "And that's why she's left."

I thought about it. It would make sense... if Mom could actually control reality. "And what makes you so special as to control reality," I snarled in disbelief.

Mom shrugged, "I smelled nice? I don't know... apparently one of my great grandma's or something got along with the right person."

I glared at her, "Just go. Hope's real, and I'll prove it."

She left, and I glared at everything. The wall... the floor.. the door... the window.. the bed, everything was to blame for everything. It's all because of existance. I wasn't going to listen to any of their bull crap. Hope was real as I'm real, and I wasn't going to let Mylia and Ryen brainwash me like they had everyone else. Once I was out of here, I was going to Candace. She'd help me with everything. She's the only real friend I have... who hasn't been kidnapped.

And then I was planning to go after Mylia. No matter if she killed Hope or not, she's dead.

Now was to wait out this house arrest. Once I was accepted back into school, I'd be cleared to go do anything without getting into trouble. Nobody gets arrested for killing vampires, after all.


	30. Chapter 29

Part Twenty-Nine:

Coach Hoyt stopped answering the phone when I called. I mean, how sucky is that? Pff. Like I want to go to school anyways. But then again, my parents would never let me out of the house even if I was off house arrest... unless I was back in school. And now was the time for sucking up big time. That included good grades (which included school) and keeping a clean nose.

So, when I was finally released from my abominable little anklet of hell, I worked on getting my parents... eh, that plural thing still gets me.. to allow me to go bug Coach Hoyt into getting me back into school. Of course, not that I'd let my parents know I was going to bug him. Just suck up. And I'll start out with that. I'll bring some muffins and cookies for his fat ass to chew on... and I'll pat his bald head when he learns how to spell his name. If that doesn't work, I don't know. Maybe a gold star will help.

And if nothing works, I'll go all Laura Croft on his ass. Kick him in the head and stomp on his major quality until he decides I need more education. Then it goes for me having to get extra credit from my teachers. That'll be yay... great. Gah, maybe I should burn down the school instead. That'll be way funner, and educate me in learning about the dangers of fire. Plus, everyone else will end up just as behind in school work as me. A definite possibility.

Mom didn't think I was ever going to be up to good, though, so when I mentioned going to the principal to get him to lean off the suspension, she was automatically suspicious. Probably wondering why I wasn't mad at her about Hope, but I mean... why would I get mad at a person who's been brainwashed? It isn't her fault that she can't protect her mind as well as I can. I prefer to be mad at Mylia and Ryen. They're going down.

"Why don't you just work on not getting arrested and Daviel can work on your school," Mom suggested suspiciously. I made a face.

"I don't want _him_ doing all my work for me," I growled, "I'm perfectly capable of getting my own principal to love me, thank you very much."

Mom scoffed, "Obviously not, if he won't even answer the phone to you anymore."

"He's just bitter because I didn't order him a pizza with everything on top," I stated, "He'll come around. If you'll let me go talk to him, though, I could definitely go back to school in a snap."

She stopped doing what she was doing... which was staring at the wall, I'm assuming, and she glanced at me, "And just how are you planning on getting your principal to let you back in school? Throwing bricks through his window with threats on it? No, I think Daviel can handle it."

"Not bricks; donuts," I stated sarcastically, "Seriously, mom, I can do it myself. He can't be too busy."

She muttered something that sounded oddly like, "Now that you're not there.." But I just turned to reach for the doorknob.

"I'm off to the school," I said, opening the door to leave. I paused, glaring towards mom, "And don't tell Daviel, either. If I see him sulking about up there, I swear to Jesus..." And I left.

It felt like I was walking through Heaven. I hadn't been out of my house in decades, and now that I was, the slightly irritable sun felt so.. irritable but good against my skin. I felt I could breathe much better now that I was outside the cages of my house. There wasn't much people outside, either, so I felt just as alone. Whatever. It wasn't too long before the school showed up just to the side of the road.

It must have been lunch or something because there was plenty of student swamped about the parking lot area. Some were moving in and out of the school, and when I walked past each person, they looked confused. Someone at some point asked me if I was back. I merely flipped them off and headed to the office. I opened the office doors to see Mrs. Jackson. She spotted me and smiled.

"Back, then," she asked.

I shrugged, "I want to speak to Mr. Hoyt about that."

"He's in his office," Mrs. Jackson stated, "Go ahead and knock on his door."

I smiled evily, heading to his office. When I got to his door, I burst it open without knocking to see him reading some sort of Vogue Magazine... or Seventeen. Whatever it was, Mr. Hoyt screamed and threw the magazine before his head was a glowing red. I frowned in fake confusion.

"What... are you doing here," he snarled in a slightly hostile voice.

I shut the door and sat down on the chair in front of his desk. Then I propped my feet on his desk and smiled. "I thought you weren't getting my messages and so I figured I'd drop in to see how my favorite pricipal was doing," I stated in a fake, high-pitched and excited voice.

"Not getting your messages," he asked darkly, clearing stating that he didn't even want them.

"Yeah, you know how secretaries can be. All irresponsible and stuff," I stated, "Anyways, I was wondering if you thought about letting me back into the school. I've really felt my I.Q. dropping within every day I'm not here and all... kinda missed you and your vein on your forehead that pops everytime you're yelling at me, you know?" I knew because that very vein was clearly in veiw and his face was turning a deep shade of purple. "You might want to breathe, Coach Hoyt," I added.

I took a large breath of rage, "Get out... you're never coming back into this school, NEVER!"

I scoffed, "But Mr. Principle, that sounds more like expelling instead of suspension if you'd ask me."

"LEAVE!" He suddenly look like a very... well dressed, but angry pig. I felt like laughing at how much I was getting him angry, but this wasn't helping my cause at all.

I sighed and leaned forward, dropping my feet from his desk, "Look, Coach Hoyt... notice I'm calling you Coach Hoyt?" He hesitated, but nodded. "Well, that's because I've decided to stop getting on your nerves so much, see? So, here's how it's going to be. You can either decide not to let me back into the school, and I'll stalk you and your family and your friends and everyone you go near. I'll watch you while you sleep, and soon I'll even invade your dreams, making you wake up screaming everyday. You'll find things missing, and you'll start getting paranoid at every noise you hear around you... And it'll never stop until you decide I'm good enough to go back to school, where I can annoy other people and be too busy to annoy you.

"Or you can decide right here and right now to trust the fact that I'm trying to keep my actions clean since I nearly went to jail during suspension and wouldn't want that to happen again. Then you can allow me to go back to school, and I'll be working on trying to keep my grades up and not breaking rules because I would like to actually hang out with my friends instead of being locked in my house all day. Then you'd have no nightmares because you would rarely, if ever, see me again." Coach Hoyt stared at me, thinking over my words carefully.

"So, you choose. Nightmares or peace," I asked, adding a sweet smile.

I sat at my lunch table with Candace next to me. She had really stepped up to being a good friend, and I didn't feel I missed R.L. anymore. Except I did miss Hope, and I was still planning my escape. I had to wait until I got my report card, though, in which it should brandish no F's after working my own ass off just to do all my work, including extra credits, to get my grades up. I was trying to get my parents to see that I was actually going to do better so they'd lay off me.

I was also starting to talk to other people. I figured I'd need some way of trying to keep me from wanting to fight with everyone, so I tried to get to know them. And after talking to a bunch of them, I noticed they all weren't that bad. In fact, they all were kind of cool. Some were actually really funny, to add to it. And now I sat within the groups, talking to anyone about anything instead of just talking to a certain group of people. It was funner to have more people to talk to; more interesting to see they all had different lives.

I noticed that R.L. didn't sit with the preps anymore. But she didn't sit with the groups I sat with. Instead, she went and sat with some of these mid-pretty but smart people. I didn't mind them that much, either, seeing as smart people at least have brains. Sadly, they think their brains are better than most around them, so I tend to keep from talking to them too much. They're smart talks end up getting annoying after awhile.

Candace was laughing about something, and I turned to her. Now was as good a time as any to ask her about Hope. I mean, everyone else had probably seen her too. Plus, I couldn't see her anywhere else but at school, seeing as her parents had her grounded. It was a good thing, though, for now she hasn't even done any drugs. Being in a coma got her out of any addiction she had had... and being locked up kept her from any chance of getting into it again. I just had quit cold turkey.

Candace noticed me looking at her thoughtfully, so she stopped laughing. "What," she asked, looking behind her. Then she looked at herself, and I laughed.

"I was just wondering," I started, and I moved closer to her so I could lower my voice and she'd hear it, "About Hope." Candace's laughing got duller as she started frowning.

"The objective hope... or your Hope," she asked slowly.

"I guess _my_ Hope," I stated, "See, James and Mom and them are saying she's just imaginary, but... you've talked to her once, remember? You were talking to her... weren't you?" Everyone at the table started getting quiet. Candace looked slightly nervous, suddenly.

"Well, no offense... but I was making fun of you when I was 'talking' to Hope," Candace admitted, "You practically told us what she was saying, so I was joking when I said something to her. But you seemed so convinced she was actually there. It was kind of creepy, but I figured it was just a way you got over your problem with your dad..." I was stunned.

I turned to the people around the group, "You've all seen her, too, right? I mean, she's been sitting right around here everyday?" They all got just as nervous under the spotlight.

"I've never seen her," This one guy said, "Don't punch us, please."

I frowned and sat back in my seat. They've **all** been brainwashed. How can all of them be brainwashed? But Hope has to be real. She was right there. I turned to Candace, "She gave me this necklace, though. How can someone imaginary give me a necklace?!" I showed the heart shaped necklace Hope had given me on the bus, almost expecting it to be gone, too... but it was still there.

They all looked at me like I was crazy, almost with eyes of pity. It really pissed me off. Candace was frowning at the necklace, "Maybe you found it. Or maybe Hope is real? Seeing as you're... you know... and your Mom... you know... maybe she rid away of her.." Candace was whispering the last part so that nobody could hear, but my vampire ears could catch it easily. I felt a relief that Candace was actually considering that Hope was real.

About my Mom, though. I had told Candace everything about what happened with Ryen and about Mom, as well, including the 'reality power' thing... So her thoughts about my Mom ridding of Hope came to mind. Why would Mom swipe Hope from everyone's thoughts? Unless... I gestured to Candace to follow me. So we headed outside where nobody could listen in on us.

"Maybe she knew Mylia and Ryen had actually taken Hope and had wiped Hope from everyone's memory so I'd think she never existed. That way I wouldn't go after her," I stated, feeling slightly betrayed that Mom would do that, but it was possible. And it made sense. I mean, she'd be doing it for my own safety, but what about Hope's safety?

"Yeah, you can't trust anyone now-a-days," Candace sneered darkly, glancing around, "Everyone's out to kill you... of course your Mom would do something like that to protect you. Just like every mother would do." I nodded, looking around.

"What I need to do is go after Mylia and get Hope back," I said, "Then I could show my mom and she could erase that reality swiping she did. Everything would slightly go back to normal, then. But... how do I find Mylia? Ryen didn't exactly tell me where she was either." I sighed, sitting down on the ground in frustration.

"Well, what all did he tell you," Candace asked, sitting down as well.

"Nothing! He was being sarcastic when I asked him, saying something that she lived in a 'B' shaped rock, lain on rocks and eating berries or something," I scoffed at his stupidity. Candace was in deep thoughts, and I looked at her. Suddenly, I heard a burst of whispers around me. I looked around sharply. The whispers were everywhere. And I covered my ears. It must be Ryen or Mylia trying to drive me insane. They must be around here.

"What's wrong," Candace asked in concern. I suddenly heard whispers that were in her own voice. They were weird, speaking when she wasn't. And right now they were jumbles on things like wondering if I was going insane while asking about Hope, trying to remember if she'd every actually seen her, and also on the sentence 'B' shaped rock, lain on rocks and eating berries. "It seems so familiar," the whispers were repeating, "Where'd I hear that before..."

I dropped my hands, staring at her in shock. There is no way I could be hearing her... thoughts. But she had already been looking at the distance because something was clicking in those whisper. "B... rock... B... rock... Brock... Brock... lain on rocks... lain.. rocks... Rocks... lain.. rock... lane... berries... berries.. rocks... lane... rock... berry... lane...," I was listening intently.

And suddenly I yelled, "Rockberry Lane! Brock... Rockberry Lane. Isn't that a--"

Candace pitched in, "The Brock house. Their family was slaughtered not too long ago, remember? Chelsie Brock went to our school. You think that Mylia has been hanging out at their house? It's on Rockberry Lane after all!"

"You're a genius," I screeched, tackling her with a hug.

"What? You must've been thinking the same thing I was because you figured it out just as I did," Candace stated in confusion. I didn't add the fact that I had been listening to her mind. Odd, but I am half-vampire, after all. I wondered if Daviel could hear them talking instead of whispering. Only half wondered, though, because now I had to wait out the whole school day before I could go after Mylia and get back Hope.

But I could. I knew where she was, and now I could go get my friend back.


	31. Chapter 30

Part Thirty:

Now there was only one problem I had to endure before I could go after my Hope. It's called... _Daviel_. I know, it's such an awful name to utter from any thought in the air. And he had this disease about him that was so controlling and furious that it made me want to punch kittens. Not that I'd punch kittens. I love kittens. See what I mean? Daviel makes me want to punch things I love.

Wait, that couldn't be completely true, for I want to punch him. I hate him. So he must make me want to punch things I hate AND love. I get it now. Well, whatever it is, he made me want to express my rage towards him violently. Mainly because he was so suffocating lately. It's almost as if he could read my thoughts so that I couldn't go after Mylia. I don't get why he won't let me go. Maybe if I asked for his help... no way. I don't need Daviel for anything.

Okay, so I had Daviel, who made absolutely sure that I came directly home after school with my little notebook that had each teacher's signature for each class and each day. Yes, I had an attendance/behavior/working catalog for my teachers. They'd sign it to state that I was in class for the whole hour, and they had a space beside each signature where they could state whether I was doing my work and behaving well. So far, I've had no spaces filled in except for the few that told that I was doing much better than usual. Oh, thanks for egging on my keeper of my cage. And I couldn't forge signatures because Daviel happened to be trained at remembering the real signatures from the fakes.

Then he had me on a leesh so that I couldn't actually go outside unless I had to go do yardwork or take out the garbage.. or check the mail. And on the inside, I had to do more work. This included dishes, sweeping, and an over all of picking up the house before shaking it clean of any sign of dirtiness. We had enough money that we could just get a maid, but why do that when you have a child to shove through labor? I mean, that's the easy escape to allow someone else to do your grunt work.

There was no way I could go to Candace's house. She was grounded as much as me, but I was sure she didn't have to suffer as much as I had. I couldn't go out on dates, nor out in general to hang out with anyone. I was home grounded, and the only outside place I could go was school.

As for school, I was being watched by teachers like a hawk. Daviel would get ahold of any knowledge of me trying to so much as be a half minute late for a class. And if I tried to leave the campus, the school cop had permission to shoot me down as long as it wasn't lethal. Not that I liked to go out into the sun, anyways. No matter how much I hung out in it, it was always really irritating.

I had Mom, too. She was like my mentor in all of this. Every night, she walked into my room to ask me how my day was and how I was feeling about things lately. She'd check to see if I felt a little too aggressive in one area of school or maybe inclined to ditch at some point, but I kept everything rather apathetic. Except for subjects of Daviel. There was also the subject of blood, which if I felt any urge, she'd have Daviel go get me some. And then Mom would tell some jokes or some stories about her being in school so as to make me feel better. Sadly, I knew the reason why she was distracting me was so that I wouldn't be aware of Daviel snooping about the outside of my room for any signs of future escape or alarm tampering.

One day I will lock Daviel in a cage and leave him on the bottom of the ocean to play with the fishes.

The only peace I had was at the group in the cafeteria, where the other teens there had decided trying to plot my escape was way more interesting than anything else they had talked about. I had started focusing on their whispering mind, something I had failed to mention to Daviel and Mom, to make sure I could trust them with helping in planning my escape.

"You could take the shot and keep on going," A girl named Yolanda suggested. This got giggles, but Candace merely glared at her. I had not found it funny, but was seriously already considering it as one of my possibilities.

"Can't," I stated, "If I'm off to kick a strong girl's ass, I can't be bleeding already." That's all the group knew, that I was desperate to go kick some girl's ass who had annoyed me awhile back. They were all for helping me get in a fight; fighting was always an interesting thing to talk about, anyways.

"I say we distract the school while you run off," A guy named Freddie said.

"And how are we going to do that," Candace asked.

"Well, it has to be something so big that nobody would notice their star student slipping off into a fight," Freddie's friend, Kaleb, stated. I was listening to the ideas popping up in their minds and Candace was shrugging, using her ability to argue against everything everybody said. It wasn't that she disagreed, she was just trying to hear the perfect idea. And if all her arguing couldn't find a loop hole, that'd be the perfect plan.

I heard the perfect plan before it was even mentioned verbally. And I pointed at R.L. She had been quietly walking past the group, and happened to "overhear" the conversation. And, knowing how she had been my partner in crime before, of course she had a perfect plan. R.L. froze at my pointing at her, and she narrowed her eyes defensively, her mind already screaming that I was going to punch her again like a maniac.

"I like her idea," I stated to the group, and they looked over at R.L. in confusion. Right. They haven't heard it yet. "I mean, I'll bet I'd like her idea. What do you say, R.L.?"

She glared at me. "Um, try no," she snapped in a snooty voice.

Candace scoffed and mocked, "Um, try you get your ass over here and tell us a plan or I'll haul my ass over there and kick your ass over here so that you can be tortured into telling us a plan." I smiled at Candace, but if R.L. walked off, I'd just use her plan as my own. Really, I was hoping by adding her in on this, she wouldn't rat on me for revenge. That'd be just like her.

R.L. sighed, dropping the tray onto the table, and scooting a chair up to the table. "It's simple," she started, not sounding like the snooty prep she had just a minute ago, but more like her old self. And she whispered her brilliant plan to the rest of the group. In unison, the whole group turned to look at Cody Young... Mr. Bigshot-bully whom had been ass kicked by myself not too long ago.

The next day, I went to school like normal, dressed as normal as any day. That had been the plan; to be as normal as if I wasn't about to break out of my lockdown in a couple of hours. I didn't even feel nervous because I had to convince myself that nothing was going to happen. That way Daviel wouldn't get any wind of anything happening. Nothing was going to happen. Ha.

I walked into the school, and Cody spotted me. He bounded up to me once I had hit the school camera's bling spot, and held out his fat sausage fingers. I sighed, looking around for any witnesses, but pulled out my 100 dollars I had been saving for awhile, now. As long as I didn't steal it from Mom, for if I had, I'd probably end up in more of a mess than what was going to happen to me after I had gotten Hope back. Though it'd be stupid to punish me because it wouldn't be my fault they're all dumb. Then I could laugh in their faces and be like, "HA! I told you I could do it without Daviel."

"Why am I doing this again," Cody asked, but he pocketed the money in acceptance.

"First of all, it's not just you doing it," I stated sharply, "And second of all, you're perfect because I doubt Coach Hoyt would do much to you. You're his pride... the son he never had, remember?" And I smiled evily, "Now you be a good boy and do what you do best correctly this time at lunch, okay?" I started off down the hallway, checking to make sure nobody was questioning anything happening. Only a couple of students were thinking about it, and those were the ones at the group and those who had been added in the plan later on. R.L. didn't even look my way, though.

Not that I cared. The only reason I let her tell the plan was so that if she so much as tried to tell on us, I had a group of teenagers willing to testify that she came up with the plan. So I was fine with her not talking to me as long as she wasn't talking about the plan to anyone else. She wasn't. Not even to the people she had included in the plan. Nobody asked her the questions. Nobody asked questions unless we were out of camera sight and witnesses... and they only asked me.

The day went by slowly, and I ended up staring at the clock when I reached the class just before my lunch hour. Hell, maybe I could be back before lunch even ended. When the bell rang, I took my notebook to the teacher, and I saw her sign it before writing a small note. While I was leaving, I glanced at it to see the words, "She seemed distracted today, but did her classwork." Pff. Of course I'm distracted.

The teachers were watching me walk by carefully, each making sure to do their job in making sure I wasn't planning on throwing at bomb at someone before busting out the windows like a super hero. I wasn't even sure what they were expecting me to do after I escaped. Rob a liquor store?

I paused, glancing at my new wrist watch I had gotten especially for this time. And as I bent down to tie my suddenly untied shoe, there was a loud crash in the cafeteria not too far away. No doubt it was Cody Young throwing a random person over a table for them not giving him lunch money. There was quiet, and then more crashing than the first one. No doubt it was the groups that had been split across the cafeteria, one mad that Cody had destroyed their food and now attacking everyone in sight. And then came the screaming of all the other groups joining in the massive cafeteria fight.

Automatically, doors opened down the halls from the people who had already been to the first lunch. An announcement went over the intercom for all teachers to help out in the cafeteria, and they started swamping towards the abnormal roaring of the lunch students. I hesitated, looking at the students swarmed out in the hallway. "NO CLASS," I yelled randomly, "LET'S GO JOIN 'EM!!" And most of them roared in approval, running towards the cafeteria to join in the fights. The others just followed to check out what was happening. The leftovers were the ones that were suppose to make sure the teachers wouldn't come back to see me running off the campus.

I couldn't believe it worked.

Not ten minutes later, I was already six miles away from the school and was approaching the street of Rockberry Lane. When I walked down the street, I noticed that the place sounded dead. And I didn't care at all. I mean, of course Mylia Barbie girl would pick a dead place to hold Hope hostage, but no need to worry... I'm here to negotiate getting my friend back.

I glanced at the mailboxes to see the names. When I got to the black mailbox that held the white letters of 'Brock', it was as if I had been proven correct. Actually, I was slightly unnerved by this. What if it was actually a trap? If Ryen was a bad guy, too, what if he knew I'd figure out that riddle of his and was in there, too? I doubt I could handle two full blooded vampires, but I was sure I could handle one. Not Ryen, though. I felt that punch he had given me when he wasn't even trying, and I didn't feel like feeling another one.

After I kill Mylia, I was planning on allowing Ryen to run off. It was a part of me that wanted to remember the Ryen that had told me he wasn't going to let me do something stupid. A part of me that wanted to remember how he had kept me from killing myself long ago... how he had helped me into the cave instead of throwing me off... how he was trying to have a relationship with me without it being just sexual... a real relationship. But now my reality could join my brain in knowing that it was all a trick so that I could live through my friend's deaths before dying myself.

They had killed Jason for crying out loud. They had put Candace in a coma. They had tried to kill R.L. And I wasn't even friends with her anymore. And they had taken Hope from me and had my mom brainwash people into thinking Hope wasn't real, which caused me to think I was insane. I mean, they're the reason my life has been so sucky lately. I'm pretty sure being half-vampire would've been just fine if they hadn't found some reason to come along and bug me!

I might've even been best pals with Daviel. Aha, not.

Still, I was in front of Mylia's house; a house she had stolen by taking the lives of the previous owners. It looked horrible by now. The gardens in the front yard were untended, the paint on the house was starting to chip, and the yard was starting to grow into a forrest. No doubt that the wildlife was residing within the place with Mylia herself.

I pulled out the knife I had kept as a weapon in my shoe. When it was clicked into place, it was the shape of a cross. I could remember how much it had hurt Daviel just trying to pull it out of my side. I figured Mylia wanted it back by now. In her side. Forever. As ashes. Haha. Hehe. Hahahehe.

I walked towards the front door of the house slowly. I could try to coax her out into the yard where she could burn in the sun. Just with the thought, though, the sky suddenly darkened with thick clouds, and the sun was barely there. That probably meant that my motherly mother just heard that I was no long at school. Not good in either direction for me, for now I could be attacked anywhere. Thanks, mother.

Not that I was afraid. In fact, this just enforced my thoughts in going after Mylia. And I was at the front door in no time. I considered knocking and saying something like, "Housekeeping." But I'm pretty sure no girl could be paid enough to come clean this mess up. Plus, it'd probably be a dead give-away. So I stuck with checking to see if the door was locked. It wasn't. I opened it slowly, expecting the usually death creaking of the door hinges that would announce my arrival before I froze in expectation of being attacked. Instead, the door opened freely, not announcing my presence in any way except casting my dull shadow on the floor on the house living room.

I held a tighter grip on my knife, looking around at the dusty living room. It was all covered, defining the fact that the previous owners were indeed dead. My eyes were oddly able to see through the darkness easily. I guess that was a bonus. I took a step in the room to step on a small glass figurine. It shattered under my foot, and I froze. Well, it was a little late in the process, but still there. I left the door open in case I had to make a mad dash with Hope in my arms.

There was no sign of anybody in the house, though. And I started to get confused. What if Mylia wasn't in this place? I looked around. In order to be sure, I had two stories of the house to go through before I knew it would be empty. This included the basement. Twenty bucks says she's in the basement, hanging from the ceiling, upside-down with her arms crossed against her chest. Aha. Totally.

I started towards the kitchen carefully, not wanting to step on anything else that would announce my presence. And I opened the door that I figured would lead to the basement. Nope. It was the pantry. I didn't see Mylia in the pantry, so I shut it. Then I opened another door that -- sure enough -- showed stairs heading downward towards darkness so dark I couldn't see.

"Hey, um, Mylia," I said in a deep voice, trying to mimic Ryen, "Yo, sis, gotta beef to pick with you. I haven't eaten in awhile, and I was wonderin' if you had that Hope girl, still. Wouldn't mind a snack, sissy ole sis." I was absolutely sure that wasn't anything like what Ryen would say, but whatever.

So I went to plan B.

"Housekeeping," I said into the darkness with a high pitched voice, "We're also selling cookies. Gotta nice Oreo a la Sprice Orome up here. Want to try to sneak your way up here and give here a proper greeting?" I held the knife just in front of me, prepared to stab any flying bat coming my way. But nothing came my way. Just a quiet wind blew a tree branch to tap on the windows creepily. I sighed, "I'm assuming your not down there, then." And I shut the door loudly.

"MYLIA GREENE," I yelled into the echoing house, "Over here! In the kitchen! It's Sprice Orome, and I was wondering if I could talk to you! If you're Ryen, please ignore this request. Beep?!" There was no response. A wind blew just behind me, and I twirled around, prepared to stab Mylia any second. There was nothing there. How does wind blow in a house?

I hesitated, but started towards the direction the wind had came from. It led towards a large room. I was assuming it was a sitting room, but there was no chairs anywhere. Just white cover cloths hanging about the walls and over random objects and boxes. I looked around, suddenly not feeling so brave about facing my friend's killers alone. I mean, Daviel _has_ been chasing these two since my birth, so maybe there was a good reason he wanted me not to come here against them. Maybe I should've told him where Mylia was and let him go after her himself.

My heart started pounding harder than it had ever done since I had started tranforming into a half-vampire. I moved to the middle of the room, and glanced around quickly for any sign of Mylia. I was also glancing for a window in the room. And with one glance about, I realized that I had trapped myself in a large room. There was no windows and only two doors that were located on the same wall. I was facing the opposite direction of those doors, too.

I heard one squeak open before I could even try to run out of here. I froze. I should've told Daviel. God, I'm so STUPID. Why am I so stubborn? Now I was fixing to get my ass kicked... this is a full blooded vampire for Bleeding Christ! I mean, she's been alive since God knows when. What is wrong with me? I could be fixing to die. But I'm the one with the knife. God, I should've told Daviel.

"A little late for that," I heard a girl's voice say evily. I hesitated, and turned around slowly to see the face of Barbie girl. I'm doomed. "Hello, little Orome."

"Hello, Mylia," I said, swallowing with slight trouble.


	32. Chapter 31

Part Thirty-One:

Now that I knew that Ryen was Mylia's brother, I could see all the things they had in common. They had the same bleach blonde hair, the same baby blue eyes, the same dimples in their smiles... whether it be an evil smile or a genuine happy smile. In fact, they looked so much alike that they could pass as twins. No, they even looked the same age. They could be twins, seriously.

At least I had a weapon. Mylia seemed to be lacking any sort of weapon at the time, but she also seemed to be holding a certain air of confidence. As if my arrival here was making her day. I had to remember why I even came here. Hope. And Hope didn't seemed to be standing behind Mylia at all. In fact, I didn't see Hope anywhere with Mylia. That could mean she was hiding her in some other room. I had to survive past Mylia in order to get Hope back.

I kept a nice grip on my cross knife. It was slightly irritating to hold, but I could handle it. Full vampires couldn't handle it, though, and that's all that mattered. I kept my appearance defiant. I couldn't let her think I was afraid of her. Pff. She's just some small nimwit. Nothing I can't just run over on my way to Hope. And the thought of me just rolling over Mylia, squashing her to road kill, made a smile appear on my face.

"You said you wanted to talk to me," Mylia suddenly said, raising her hand up to indicate the fact that we both were in an empty room, "Let's talk." Her eyes were so bright with malice... it was slightly intimidating.

I hesitated, but she made no indication of intending to attack me soon. I didn't take my grip off the knife, and I didn't move my eyes from her form. Instead, I just shrugged. "You could start with explaining to me exactly why you're after me instead my dad. I mean, what did I ever do to you?" I'd get to Hope eventually. Maybe I could slip past her, but until then, I just had to keep her talking until someone tells Daviel where I went. God, please let there be someone in school who is intimidated by him. That should be an easy request, seeing as loads of them are intimidated by him.

Mylia cackled, holding her hands behind her back gleefully. "That's simple. Daviel killed my mother and father. His sister stole my father from my mother long ago, and it's the whole Orome family's fault my brother and I had nobody to take care of us. Do you have any idea what we've been through," she suddenly sounded angry at me. Maybe it's because of my blank face. It's not like I'm really in tuned with my family's past.

"If it helps, I'm more of a Kinrey than Orome... Daviel wasn't exactly there to beat any Orome into my head," I stated. Okay, yeah, it sounds like I'm trying to make her feel better. But I halfway know what she's going through. I wouldn't go after the daughter of the person who took away my dad, though. Like... Mylia's kid. I don't even know if she has a daughter.

Mylia scoffed at my remark. "You have no idea how much you're like Daviel, even if he was too busy hunting my brother and I," she snapped, "It's called genes, you idiot."

What's up with the name calling? "Look," I said, suddenly pissed, "I didn't take away your mommy and daddy, so why don't you go mess with him. Plus, I don't even know anything about what anybody did. You're just a wall in the middle of my life that I need to bomb in order for me to have a half way normal life."

"Right, halfway because you're a _half_ vampire," Mylia sneered. I'm going to kill her. "And if you'd listen, I'll tell you exactly why I'm going after you instead of Daviel." I glared at her. There was silence.

"I'm listening," I said in annoyance.

"It was--" Mylia started.

"Bitch," I muttered. She glared at me.

"It was before Daviel and his sister, Jestin, was even born," Mylia snarled, "after my mother, Tyra Greene, had tried to steal It.. you know, that thing Iveria Kinrey has... and she failed because Jon-Deus Elequet passed it down to Crystal Kinrey's son to save him and blah blah blah. Anyways, around that time my mother met my father, Josepher. And it was years afterward that they had fallen in love. They were perfect together; two of the best full vampires ever.

"Forty years before Daviel was even born, my mother got pregnant with twins. And she gave birth to Ryen James Greene and Mylia Larie Greene, me!" I knew they were twins. But Mylia didn't seem happy about it. "Notice our last names are Greene. I think my mother knew Josepher's last name, but he didn't accept us. For some reason, they had separated because of something... I'm not sure. And when she came back to tell him that she had his kids, he was ignoring her. Josepher had fallen for some rich human idiot named Jestin Orome. And he didn't care about my mother or us. So my mother blamed us and left us as well.

"See, Ryen and I stuck together anyways. And when our mother finally saw her mistake, she asked us to forgive her. We did. We loved our mother. But she had some things to do. She told us she had to go get our father back, so we let her. Not long after that, we hear that Jestin's brother killed both our mother and father. So, here we are today, getting revenge for our eternally broken family that was broken because the Oromes."

I stared at Mylia dully. "That it," I asked shortly. Mylia frowned.

"Yes, pretty simple, but yep," she shrugged.

"So, why again are you going after me instead of Daviel," I inquired, not exactly understanding.

Mylia sighed loudly. "First of all, he killed our parents and left us here to suffer through it. So we're going to kill you and let both Iveria and Daviel suffer through it. Second of all, your last name is Orome. Remember that time so long ago when I said the reason my family was destroyed was because of Oromes?" Sarcasm, sarcasm.

I scoffed, "First of all, that makes no sense. Daviel doesn't give a shit about me. Second of all, I could easily change my name to Kinrey if it made you happy."

"No," Mylia growled, "You were born an Orome. You are an Orome. And you're stupid if you think Daviel doesn't care about you. Were you not listening when I said he was hunting Ryen and I down? You think he was doing it just for fun?"

"Well, he could've," I said slowly, "Or my mom told him to. He listens to her."

"Whatever," Mylia snapped, clearly annoyed with my arguing, "Killing you will make them both suffer, and we'll be finished with our revenge. If not, we'll just kill Daviel and Iveria anyways."

"Why the hell are you killing my friends," I yelled, "If killing me will make them suffer, you should've just killed me instead of my friends! They aren't Oromes and their death doesn't bother my parents!"

Mylia shrugged, "We had to make you alone just in case you tried to get help. Plus, it totally screws with your head so that you were all strung out enough to cause your parents suffering by annoying them. Or maybe seeing you depressed made them depressed. It got your mom to send for Daviel, too. And it was just plain fun."

That's just great. Go around killing my friends because it's fun. In that case, I should just go around destroying buildings because it's fun. Oh, wait. I do that anyways. Hmm, maybe Mylia isn't too different from me. I'd have to test that, someday. We could be great friends. Wait, she killed my friends. Right. Can't love someone who kills everyone else you love.

"Okay, here's the deal," I said, moving the knife to the side and looking at the ceiling in thought, "How about I give my dad a call, and you can come settle your dispute together while letting me take off with my friend."

I looked back to Mylia to find her directly in front of me. Creepy. "I don't have any more of your friends with me," she said into my face, a wide smile.

"Yeah, you do," I said as if I had to coax an admittance out of her, "Hope Flowers. You know. A blonde. About eh high." I held my hand beside me to dedicate hight. "She's kinda Christian with a shy aura about her. If you've kidnapped her, she's probably constantly offering you candy she keeps in her pockets for little kids. Maybe offering to brush your hair. You know. She's like that. Although, you do have lovely hair. It's like... completely opposite from my hair..."

Mylia was slightly frowning. "No," Mylia replied, "No, I looked. I told Ryen, too. I looked at the Flowers family. I even looked at birth certificates and asked people in her grade. There's no Hope Flowers existing. I can't have missed her. I looked everywhere." She suddenly looked upset at the thought of missing one of my friends. And then she was hyperventilating. "I looked and looked. There's no Hope. You and Ryen are just trying to drive me insane... you're just coocoo or something... wacky... I looked..."

I hesitated before patting her back slowly. "It's okay, everyone's telling me she doesn't exist, so maybe you're right," I said, wondering what this could mean. Does this mean that Hope really doesn't exist? But that can't be right. How can someone you've known for so long not exist?

I continued patting Mylia's back, trying to calm her down. This was odd. I don't think Mylia fitted well with being a bad guy. Just as I thought that, she grabbed my arm, and pulled me towards her. I was taken by surprise, so I didn't see it coming when she bit down on my shoulder. And then she pulled back before stabbing some little tube thing into the bite. Whatever was in the tube poured into the wound and directly into my veins.

It all had happened in seconds so that when Mylia stepped back, I almost nearly had no idea what had happened. I didn't even feel the bite or stab... it had just happened so fast. I reached up slowly, ignoring Mylia's evil cackling and smile, and touched my shoulder in confusion. When I pulled back, I saw blood. Wow, I didn't see that coming.

"Did you just bite me," I asked, still confused, and I heard Mylia burst out laughing some more. She seemed so happy about something that I started giggling as well. That's... odd. I don't feel so happy.

Just then, the door into the room burst open, interrupting Mylia's giggling. Ryen walked in with a clear look of utter confusion etched on his expression. But he looked from his twin sister to me and his face cleared to a look of... something that kind of looked like horror.

"Ryen! Just in time to see the show," Mylia said, continuing in a snort-like giggle. Ryen's eyes borrowed as I stopped giggling and looked at my left arm. The veins in my arm were suddenly starting to expand oddly so that they could be seen clearly on my skin. And it also was starting to become irritated. Almost as if it was starting to burn.

"What'd you do," Ryen asked, looking at Mylia, "I told you... I said..."

"You let her get to you," Mylia snarled, no longer laughing, "And I'm not listening to anything you say anymore. She's going to die and there's nothing you can do about it, no matter how much you wanted your lovely little Orome to live. I'll fulfill the plan we had decided on over a decade ago." Ryen looked as if he wanted to kill his own sister, suddenly.

Meanwhile, I was correct when I said that it was going to start burning. There was suddenly a flame in my arm, and I could feel my vein in my neck and torso start to expand as well. Then they were getting irritated before they'd start to burn. And it was spreading to all my veins in my body. I was rubbing my arm, closing my eyes at the pain that was burning through them. And then I screamed when my neck and torso started burning along with the more definite burning sensation of my arm.

I didn't worry about Hope anymore. In fact, I wasn't worrying about anyone. I just wanted to be dunked in a tub of ice or just frozen all together. In my frantic attempt to rub the burning liquid out of my veins, I fell back onto the floor, screaming. It was in my back, in my arms and legs, in my head; everywhere. And I screamed more at the burning sensations, trying to claw it out of my veins. I dug my nails into my arms, stomach, and legs, not caring about the blood I was digging out. But then someone grabbed my wrists and held them down on the floor.

Now that Ryen was holding me down, I had nothing to do to try to get the liquid out of my veins, and I just screamed louder. I couldn't even see anything, seeing as my eyes were now out of focus. Occasionally I bit down on my lip, trying to struggle out of Ryen's grip, and I didn't take notice to my fangs digging into my lip. I didn't know that my nails were suddenly longer and sharper, and instead of clawing my skin -- thanks to Ryen's restraining me -- I was digging them into the floor.

After a moment of screaming and frantic struggling, Ryen yelled at Mylia, "What'd you do to her?!" He had to yell over my screams, but I didn't care. I just slammed the back of my head against the floor, wanting to do anything to end the pain. Nothing but burning pain. It was eating through my veins. My veins were going to explode. I was going to explode. Oh, God, stop.

Mylia wasn't laughing anymore. In fact, she was backing up in a slight fear at what she had done. "It was suppose to be quick, nearly painless," she said quietly. 

"WHAT IS IT?!" Ryen was furious, obviously. But he's not the one screaming in pain.

"I just...," my screaming got louder at another extra burst of pain. Nobody could hear anything, not even the door being torn down behind Mylia. Nobody noticed Daviel walking in with a look of horror and rage on his face. And then the oddest thing happened. The burning sensation was suddenly replaced with a burning cold sensation. It was as if my body had reached the max ammount of screams, and my voice cut off. I stopped struggling. I just laid there under Ryen's restraints and occasionally twitched at a sudden burst of pain.

"You just what," Ryen asked, not looking up.

"I just put Holy water in her veins," Mylia admitted, slightly relieved that I stopped screaming. "But it was suppose to kill her quickly. It always kills them quick--" She was interrupted by Daviel grabbing her head and twisting it around as easily as a barbie doll. A second later, Mylia landed on the ground, no longer the undead but just plain dead.

Ryen looked up, spotting Daviel before looking at his twin sister. "Holy.. Holy water," Daviel growled, being so furious that it was hard just to speak, "She's half vampire! Holy water in her veins? That's not a quick death. That's one of the slowest deaths you can give a half vampire!" I could barely hear his words, and I could barely recognize the fact that Daviel was actually here.

I felt Ryen touch my cheek slowly, causing another burst of pain that only made me jerk a bit. "She's still alive," Ryen said slowly, "There's got to be a way to--"

"It's too late," Daviel snapped, "You both got what you wanted. Now you've killed my ownly child. Are you happy? You killed an innocent teenager because I killed two... over a couple of centuries old vampires who were going around killing innocent people, too. Now we're even."

I felt Ryen pull me up to hug against him. Quite a painful move, but it could've been worse. I could've died in a cold, empty place. Cold. And I was pretty cold at the moment. So cold. So frozen that I could practically see the ice in my eyes. "I've loved you since the day you climbed into that cave," Ryen whispered into my ear, "I wish I could die instead of you." I felt a sudden warm glow in my heart. Well, not exactly in my heart, but on it. And it was slowly sending a warm wave from my heart to my fingers and toes and ears.

I didn't feel the pain with each warm wave going through me, and my vision was coming back. When that was happening, I felt Ryen press his lips over mine. While my lips were getting warmer, his were getting colder by the second. And I felt a sudden panic when I could move my fingers without pain because when I could hold myself up, Ryen fell to the ground instead. Before I could even move, I felt Daviel wrap an arm around my waist and start to pull me back.

I screamed, no longer in physical pain but at the realization that Ryen's wish was coming true. But I couldn't change it. Daviel was pulling me out of the house. "Shh, Sprice," He was saying into my ear, "It's okay. You're going to be okay."

But I knew that. That's not what was hurting me.


	33. Chapter 32 The End

Part Thirty-Two:

I laid, curled up in a ball, under my massive ammounts of blankets and pillows on my bed. There was no way I was going to go anywhere ever again. All I could think of was the time I hadn't believed Ryen when he had said he wasn't planning on betraying me. And all I could hear in his head is him saying, "I've loved you since the day you climbed into that cave..." So I drowned myself in my mountain of blankets and pillows.

At some point, the window was being tapped on. I had barely glance out, my heart jumping at the thought that it could be my stalker back from the dead. Anything is possible. But it was just a large group of people who had helped me get out of school that day. Even Cody Young was in the group. And Candace was in the front, pointing at the broken alarm system in her hand. She then pointed at the bars no longer on my window, and gestured for me to come escape.

Tears swelled in my eyes, and I dug myself deeper into the blankets. And I continued like that, even when they all had left. At some point, Mom had appeared in my room in attempt to make me feel better. She had slowly slunked her way in, looking at the room before focusing on the mountain of blankets and pillows. And mom slowly sat down beside the mountain.

There was silence for a couple of minutes. Then she said, "I see some friends decided to give you an opening to escape if you wanted to." I didn't answer. "I wonder who's going to pay for that alarm system, though. It was actually quite expensive..." Like I care. I kept my eyes closed, hoping she'd leave eventually.

"Did you love him," Mom suddenly asked, giving no doubt that it was Ryen she was talking about.

I moved my head out from under the blankets. "That's the point," I whined, "I'll never know." I had tried so hard not to love him that at some point I had actually grown feelings for him. And now he's gone forever. "It was all so pointless to go after Hope. I should've listened to everyone.."

"It's not your fault," Mom stated, "I should've never made Hope. Then there would've been no reason for you to go after them by yourself. And maybe if I had kept Daviel from running after them, you wouldn't have been so stubborn to keep him out of it."

I frowned, "How'd you make her?"

Suddenly, a hand brushed back the hair in my face. I turned to look at Hope, smiling at me sadly. "It wasn't completely pointless," Hope said slowly, "Maybe now you can stop trying to be such a badass and become more like me... the person you want to be." I looked from her to Mom.

"All I did was come up with the simple things, like her looks and name and where she came from, and you filled in the rest yourself," Mom said slowly, "She's just a mixture of who you are and who you want to be. And I gave her to you for support, but when Daviel came back, I decided I'd have her leave once you got over your friend, R.L. But I didn't think it'd be so soon."

I turned back to Hope to see she was gone. It gave me a deep feeling of sadness, and I looked at Mom. "Yeah, I guess it wasn't too bad," I said slowly, "She was always my closest friend for some reason. And it wasn't bad for your first trick."

Mom scoffed, "You were my first trick. Man, changing reality so that you'd be the perfect child... never worked. You know you're not even real, either." I hesitated, but she added, "Just kidding. If there's one thing I didn't want to change, it was my cute, little angel-like yet satanic, evil daughter." And she messed up my hair. I smiled softly, feeling slightly better.

"Now, get up and get dressed. You can sulk about your room as long as you don't look like you're a hobo while your at it," Mom said slowly, "And you're scaring Daviel, too." This did get me to smile. If the only way I can put fear in Daviel's heart is by looking like a hobo, I should try it more often. So mom left and I got myself looking decent. And I started writing poems in a random notebook to pass time. It actually made me start to feel better slowly.

Not too long later, the door to the room opened, and I looked up to see Mom shoving Daviel into the room before shutting the door behind him, leaving Daviel standing in front of me. He hesitated, looking around the room nervously. "Nice room," he said before turning to leave. I heard mom growl like a dog behind the door and he looked annoyed when he turned back to me.

I stared at him for a moment. Then I scooted over on my bed, leaving a nice amount of space beside me on the bed. Daviel hesitated, but then came over and sat beside me. I looked at him for a moment longer, but when he wasn't saying anything, I continued to write in my notebook. It felt odd to be able to write without feeling the fear. After being near death, nothing seemed so bad.

"Um," Daviel said, and I paused in my writing to look at him again, "I just thought you should know that since your friends broke that alarm system, you're paying for it."

I scoffed, "You put it there, you're paying for it."

"I didn't break it."

"You didn't break it."

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"Bleeding-"

"Christ."

"Oh, God, I'm the worst father ever," Daviel suddenly said, covering his face with his large hands.

I was suddenly alarmed at the switch from annoyance to... self-pity? "No way, you're the greatest dad ever," I said sincerely. I had moved the notebook to the side and was now focused.

Daviel looked at me through the side of his hands, "Really?"

"Oh, yeah," I stated, "I mean, you totally worked your ass... butt off to keep me from escaping from grounding. I actually enjoyed the hammer, there. And the alarm? Wow, that was really great. Now, I'll admit, the notebook was a little overboard, but loads of fathers are overprotective when it comes to their daughters. And at first you were a little shaky in the boat, but you got it down really quick. You did great!"

Daviel put his hands down, and looked at me in disbelief, "But you hated me every second of it."

I waved that off, "Every normal teenager hates at least one of their parents. That's just a way of telling you that you're doing it right. And boy did I hate you!" I hesitated for a moment at Daviel's deep thinking. "Well, I don't hate you so much now, but that's because I'm maturing. Look at that, wittle bitty daddy-boo is there to see his mentally little girly grow up."

"So you don't think I'm a horrible father," Daviel asked.

"Nah," I said, "In fact... if I weren't such a wonderful person as to not admit anything of deep emotional... standards or stuff.. I'd even say I could actually love you." There was a moment of silence. "But I am such a wonderful person as to not admit anything of deep emotional standards and stuff, so I can't actually say I love you. Are you getting wind of my meaning?"

"I think," Daviel said slowly. "But, if it helps any, in all my deep emotional 'standards and stuff', I absolutely am completely annoyed with every breath you take, and sometimes I feel it all would be better if I just end your life now for future suffering's sake... but I guess I kind of love you, too. Maybe. I can't really tell in all my deep emotion standards and stuff because... you know..."

"You have no feelings," I suggested.

"Right," Daviel accepted.

"Me, too," I stated. "Ode to no feelings." We both nodded, feeling slightly awkward. Daviel stood up carefully, looking around slowly before looking back at me.

"Sorry about your guy-" he started.

"Right," I said.

"And you can leave whenever-" He started again.

"Right," I said again.

"Right," he said. And then walked out of the room uncertainly. What he didn't see was my smile as he walked out. Daviel is... well, okay, Dad is actually quite funny when I think about it. Especially when I think about how much we acted alike for a second there. Aren't girls suppose to be like their mothers, though? And why would I be acting like a guy who hasn't even been in my life most of my life?

I sat in the cafeteria, laughing at something Yolanda had said. Cody was turning red at the statement she had said about how his fingers looked like Coach Hoyt's sausages. I was only laughing because I had thought that long ago. And it took me a moment to calm down from that.

"But seriously, Cody, no offense, but did your mom cheat on your dad with Coach Hoyt," I asked, getting giggles from Yolanda, as well.

"Not that I know," Cody said slowly, "It could be possible..." And we all started laughing.

Suddenly, Candace shoved someone out of the seat beside me. She looked as if she couldn't believe her ears. But I wasn't sure what she was so shocked about. "Is it true," Candace asked, looking at me.

"Well, Cody says it's possible," I said slowly. I wasn't going to start listening in on their whispering unless it was nessecary. Candace shook her head.

"No," she said impatiently, "You and James Flowers." I smiled sheepishly, and everybody gasped in shock. "JAMES?!" Candace was shocked.

"It's just one date," I stated, "If it isn't meant to be, nothing will happen." I figured that if I wanted to change, I had to stop looking at just sex and try to actually go out with someone I liked. This was beyond Candace, though, and she just went into a fit of giggles. And then she screamed when James grabbed her shoulders, startling her.

"I heard my name," James said slowly. Candace started rambling about him going out with me, and his face started turning red. Which got people to start laughing.

"It's not so confusing," I told her, sighing, "What's confusing is who gave me this necklace..." I raised up the heart necklace that no longer looked glowing like it had before Ryen had used the one and only wish on it. Everyone looked at it, but James pointed at it.

"It looks different than when it did when I gave it to you," James said in confusion.

I looked at him, "You gave it to me?"

He shrugged, "Well, actually, this blonde guy gave it to me and told me to give it to you... he said he was a witch, and he told me it had one wish. Remember? I told you on the bus that one day." So that's how I got it. No doubt the blonde guy was Ryen. No wonder he knew his wish would come true. Why couldn't he have wished for me to just live instead of him taking his place? I frowned darkly. Suddenly, I was being knudged in the side.

I looked at Candace and she pointed in front of me. I turned and saw R.L. standing there, looking slightly nervous. "I just...," R.L. started nervously, "Well, first of all, I know that you didn't attack me when that one girl did. And.. uh... I just wanted you to know that." Nobody said anything in the group, all listening intently at this exchanging of words.

I shrugged. "Okay."

For a moment, R.L. held out her fist in the way that we had usually done our usual 'Shake-and-Bake' thing. I looked at it. I'm taking this as an apology, I guess. But I hesitated before holding out my hand in a handshake. R.L. nodded, shaking my hand before walking off towards the group she had been hanging out with lately. This left everyone quiet for a moment, and I looked around.

"What," I asked. They all stared.

"Um, so you're going to the memorial today after school," Candace asked me, and conversation came back to the group. I nodded in acceptance. "You can come with me, then."

I guess everything was going to be different, now. I'd try to actually open my heart instead of blocking it when it comes to James. I've been talking to everyone so that I didn't just focus on certain people to be my friends. I had started writing more poems and was even having some posted in the school newspaper. I was passing ninth grade, woot. And R.L. and I obviously had no more trouble against each other. I would probably never completely get over Ryen and Hope, but I'd get there. And Candace was with me to help me out.

It was Candace I was laughing with as I exited the school towards the football feild, where the memorial for all the recent deaths was being held. And I was actually glad that everything was going to be different. Change can always be good.

Suddenly, I nearly tripped over a small radio that was playing a remix of music. The whole group of girls that were dancing a routine with it stopped when I had accidently unplugged it. "Hey, you bitch," one girl yelled furiously, "Can't you watch what the hell you're doing?!"

I looked at Candace beside me, and then turned my head to glare at the group of girls who were now grouped together angrily. "I'll show you bitch," I yelled, and I punched the nearest girl in the face. They jumped on me, punching me, and Candace took no time in pausing before she was tackling the girls off of me angrily.

Well... it's still a difference. I never had a beef against the drill team before.

The End

Thanks for all the reviews and everything.


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